How To Backup and Reinstall Intel® Endpoint Management Assistant (Intel® EMA)

• Intel® EMA stopped working after a software update.
• The server failed to boot post-update.

Backing Up Intel® EMA:

1. Confirm and Save EMA FQDN:
   • Navigate to Program Files x86\Intel\Platform Manager\Platform Manager Server.
   • Open settings.txt and note the Emahostname=EMA FQDN.
2. Validate EMA Environment Type:
   • Log in to the EMA console as a Global Admin.
   • Go to Settings > Server Settings Column > Swarm Server.
   • Check Admin Port Local:
     • 0 = Distributed
     • 1 = Single
3. Backup Intel® EMA Database:
   • Launch SQL Server Management Studio and connect to your SQL database.
   • Navigate to Databases folder.
   • Right-click on the EMA database, and select Tasks > Back Up….
   • In Destination, click Add and use the default path, appending a unique name.
   • Example: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL16.SQLEXPRESS\MSSQL\Backup\EMADatabase091124.bak.
   • Click OK to complete the backup.
4. Backup MeshSettingsCertificate:
   • Open Manage Computer Certificates.
   • Navigate to Certificates - Local Computer > Personal > Certificates.
   • Right-click on MeshSettingsCertificates, and select All Tasks > Export.
   • Export the private key, check Export all extended properties, and Enable certificate privacy.
   • Set a password and specify the name/location for the exported file in PFX format.

Preparing the New Server:

• Ensure the new server has the required Server OS, IIS, URL Rewrite, and SQL.

5. Import MeshSettingsCertificates:
   • Open Manage Computer Certificates.
   • Navigate to Certificates - Local Computer > Personal > Certificates.
   • Erase existing certificates from the folder.
   • Right-click in the white section, and select All Tasks > Import.
   • Choose Local Machine, and browse for the MeshSettingsCertificate backup file.
   • Enter the password, select Mark this key as exportable, and choose all certificates in the Personal store.
   • Click Finish to complete the import.
6. Reinstall Intel® EMA:
   • Install Intel® EMA software as a new installation (EMA will create a new database, which can be erased later).
   • The installation wizard will request the FQDN and EMA environment.
   • If a previous EMA configuration exists, perform a full uninstallation first:
     • Run EMAServerInstaller with admin rights.
     • Select Uninstall the Intel® EMA server option.
     • Check options: Delete Intel® EMA settings Certificate and Delete Intel® EMA Database.
7. Restore Intel® EMA Database:
   • Open SQL Server Management Studio.
   • Right-click on Databases, and select Restore Database.
   • Choose the Device option, and click the three dots icon to add the backup file.
   • Navigate to and select the EMA database backup file.
   • In Destination, create a new name for the EMA database.
   • Click OK to restore the database.
   • Run EMAServerInstaller as an administrator, and open File > Advanced mode.
   • Click Database > Update Database.
   • Fill out the Database Server (location) and Database Name (Name of the new EMA database).
   • Click Update.
8. Access EMA Console:
   • Open a browser and try accessing the EMA console.