Security Database Backup and Restore - Metasys - LIT-1201528 - General System Information - Metasys System - 12.0

Security Administrator System Technical Bulletin
Product
Building Automation Systems > Building Automation Systems > Metasys System
Document type
Technical Bulletin
Document number
LIT-1201528
Version
12.0
Revision date
2022-08-05

Use the Manage Archive wizard, available only in the SCT, to back up Metasys Security System databases of Site Directors and other supervisory devices. Beginning at Release 6.0, the archive database upload and download process includes the Security System database. The Security Database Backup/Restore wizard is no longer available in SCT. Use the Security Copy function in SCT to restore Metasys Security System databases of Site Directors and other supervisory devices. For the Metasys server, back up and restore Metasys system local users, Active Directory service users, and the Active Directory service configuration for the Metasys system, but only back up and restore Metasys local users for network engines. (For details, see Active Directory Service - Security Database Backup and Restore.)

If you need to change Site Directors, use the Manage Archive wizard to upload the archive database before changing Site Directors to ensure you have the most updated Security System database. Then, use the Security Copy wizard to copy the Security System database from one Site Director to another.

Note: If the factory-default password of a supervisory engine at Release 6.5 has never been changed and the archive database is uploaded with SCT, then use Security Copy to copy its Security Database to an engine at Release 5.2, the MetasysSysAgent user account becomes locked out for the Release 5.2 engine. When you try to log in to the Release 5.2 engine with the MetasysSysAgent user, the message Invalid name or password entered appears. To correct this issue, change the default password of the Release 6.5 engine, then perform a Security Copy from the Release 6.5 engine to the Release 5.2 engine.

When you change the Security System database for small-capacity network engines (NAE35, NAE45, NCE25, NIE29, NIE39, NIE49, SNC and SNE), you must issue the Reset Device command to ensure that the Security Database is archived to permanent memory. This step is not required for NAE55s. If you do not perform this step for a network engine that has a poor or dead battery, and that engine loses power, the latest changes to the Security System database are lost.

You must rename a Metasys local username that includes the reserved characters @ or \ after a Security Database restore if:

  • the user was added to the Metasys system before Release 4.0; and

  • the username is intended for login after the Security Database is restored to a Release 4.0 or later system.

This user cannot login to the Metasys system until the @ and \ characters are removed from the username. Also, any change to a user’s property that currently includes either of these reserved characters forces the administrator to rename the user.