WebGISDR restore fails when the target environment does not match the backup configuration

Description

The Web GIS Disaster Recovery (WebGISDR) tool restore may fail or report components such as the relational data store as unconfigured when restoring a backup into a different environment. This commonly occurs when the target environment does not fully align with the original environment configuration.

This behavior is not always explicitly called out in standard restore documentation and can lead to confusion when restoring into a separate environment.

Cause

WebGISDR captures the configuration of the source environment, including URLs, and machine references for ArcGIS Enterprise components, such as Portal for ArcGIS, ArcGIS Server, and ArcGIS Data Store components.

During restore, the target environment is validated against this configuration. If there are differences, for example, Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs), machine names, or data store endpoints, the restore process may fail or components may not be recognized correctly.

Solution or Workaround

Ensure that the target environment can resolve and access all URLs and machine references captured in the backup.

• Configure the Domain Name System (DNS) or host file entries so that all URLs and machine references from the source environment resolve correctly in the target environment.
• Verify that Portal, Server, and Data Store endpoints referenced in the backup are reachable.

If the environments differ significantly, consider following a supported migration workflow designed for environments with different machine names or URLs.