Backup and Restore (Export and Import) Lync Contacts

This post is to explain the procedure to export and import Lync contacts using Lync server 2013 power shell.

We can use the same procedure to backup the Lync cotacts from an entire pool.

To Back up/Export Lync contacts from Entire Pool

Export-CsUserData -PoolFQDN "FEPool" -FileName "C:\Temp\Contacts.zip"

Export-CsUserData is the cmdlet you use if you want to export user data for a Lync pool. You use the -PoolFQDN parameter to specify the target pool. Export-CsUserData will create a .zip file that contains the exported user data. You use the -FileName parameter to specify the location where you want that file to reside.

To Back up/Export Lync contacts from single user

Export-CsUserData -PoolFQDN "FEPool" -UserFilter "user@domain.com" -FileName "C:\Temp\Contacts.zip"

You need to include -UserFilter parameter to grab the Lync contacts for the specified person. As this example shows, you specify the user's Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) address without the sip: prefix and enclose the SIP address in quotes. After the command successfully runs, you'll see the export file in the location you specified.

Importing Lync contacts for a Pool or Single user

Update-CsUserData -Filename "C:\Temp\Contacts.zip" -UserFilter "user@domain.com"

When you run the Update-CsUserData cmdlet, you'll receive a prompt asking you to confirm that you want to perform this action. Lync Server provides this confirmation prompt because you're about to write over the user's existing Lync contacts. In this case, Adam doesn't have any contacts after being moved over to another pool.

After you confirm that you want to perform this action and the command successfully completes, User will have to log off, then log back on to his Lync client to see all of his restored Lync contacts.