You can create a standby server running Microsoft® Forefront Identity Manager (FIM) 2010 anytime after setting up a primary server that is running FIM. Configure the standby server to use the same SQL Server 2008 database as the primary server and to use the same domain-level credentials for the FIM service account and FIM security groups. If your server fails, you can then activate the standby server and make it the primary server running FIM. Because all the necessary configuration and extensions are stored in the SQL Server database, your new server running FIM will be up to date immediately upon activation.

Install the primary and standby servers running FIM Synchronization Service in the following order

  1. Install the standby server running FIM

    Note

    When you are setting up an environment with both a primary and standby server, you should configure the FIMSyncAdmins group as a global domain group on both servers. If you configure the FIMSyncAdmins group as a local group on the servers, members of the FIMSyncAdmins group will be unable to start Synchronization Service Manager after the warm standby server has been activated.

  2. Stop the FIMSynchronizationService service on the standby server

  3. Install the primary server running FIM using the same SQL Server database

  4. Restart the FIMSynchronizationService service on the standby server.

To activate a standby server running

  1. If password synchronization is enabled, you must run pcnscfg.exe, the password change notification configuration utility, before you activate the standby server. The password change notification service (PCNS) must be directed to the standby server before password synchronization can resume. If there are failed pending passwords in the PCNS queue, then they will be retried to the standby server after the standby server is activated.

  2. Run MIISactivate.exe on the standby server by using FIM administrative credentials and the most recent backup copy of the FIM encryption key set.

For more information about creating a standby server running FIM, see the SQL Server Technical Library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=16888).

For more information about MIISactivate.exe, see MIISactivate: Server Activation Tool. For more information about the FIM encryption keys, see MIISkmu: Encryption Key Management Tool.