How to Restore content in AEM as a Cloud Service

 How to Restore content in AEM as a Cloud Service

In Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) as a Cloud Service, managing and maintaining digital content efficiently is crucial for ensuring business continuity and data integrity. Accidental deletions, version rollbacks, or content structure issues can occur during day-to-day operations, making content restoration an essential capability for administrators and authors alike. Fortunately, AEM as a Cloud Service provides built-in tools and automated processes to help restore content quickly and safely - whether from version history, backup snapshots, or cloud environments. This article walks you through the available methods, best practices, and key considerations for restoring content in AEM as a Cloud Service.

In this article we will see how to achieve this on AEM cloud?

Step 1 

Create user role

By default, no permissions are assigned for executing content restorations in development, staging, or production environments. To authorize specific users or groups to perform this action, complete the following steps.

Steps to Delegate Content Restoration Permissions

1.       Create a product profile with a clear and descriptive name that reflects its purpose (for example, Content Restoration Administrators).

2.       Grant the Program Access permission for the specific program where content restoration will be performed.

3.       Grant the Environment Restore Create permission for the required environment(s) — or for all environments within the program — based on your operational needs.

4.       Assign users to the newly created product profile to enable them to perform content restoration tasks.

Step 2  

 Create a New Product Profile

First create a product profile to which you can assign custom permissions.

1.       Log into Cloud Manager at my.cloudmanager.adobe.com.

2.       On the Cloud Manager landing page, select the Manage Access button.

 

You will be redirected to the Products tab of the Admin Console, where you can manage users and permissions for Cloud Manager. In the Admin Console, select the New Profile button. Enter the details

 

 

 Step 3

Add users to the product profile.

Step 4 

Restore the content of an environment

To restore the content of an environment:

1.       Log into Cloud Manager at my.cloudmanager.adobe.com and select the appropriate organization.

2.       Click the program for which you want to initiate a restore.

3.       List all environments for the program by doing one of the following:

From the left side menu, under Services, click  Environments.

From the left side menu, under Program, click Overview, then from the Environments card, click  Show All.

NOTE

The Environments card lists three environments only. Click Show All in the card to see all environments of the program.

4.       In the Environments table, to the right of an environment whose content you want to restore, click  , then click Restore Content.

5.       On the Restore Content tab of the environment’s page, in the Time to restore drop-down list, select the time frame of the restore.

If you chose Last 24 hours, in the adjacent Time field, specify the exact time within the last 24 hours to restore.

If you chose Last week, in the adjacent Day field, select a date within the past seven days, excluding the previous 24 hours.

6.       Once you select a date or specify a time, the Backups available section below shows a list of available backups that can be restored

7.       Click  next to a backup to see its code version and AEM release, then weigh the restore impact before selecting a backup (see Choose the right backup).

The time stamp displayed for the restore options is based on the computer’s time zone of the user.

8.       At the right end of the row representing the backup you want to restore, click  to start the restore process.

9.       Review the details in the Restore Content dialog box, then click Restore.

The backup process has been initiated. You can monitor its progress in the Restore Activity list. The duration of the restore operation varies based on the size and complexity of the content being restored.

When the restore completes successfully, the environment does the following:

·  Runs the same code and AEM release that were active at the time the restore operation was initiated.

·  Contains the same content that existed at the timestamp of the selected snapshot, with indexes rebuilt to align with the current code base.

Choose the right backup

Cloud Manager’s self-service restore process restores content only, not code. Before performing a restore, review any code changes made since the target restore point by checking the commit history between the current and restored commit IDs.

There are several scenarios.

·        The environment’s custom code and the restore are located in the same repository and on the same branch.

·        The environment’s custom code and the restore are located in the same repository but on separate branches, both originating from a common commit.

·        The environment’s custom code and the restore are located in different repositories.

In this case, a commit ID is not displayed.

Adobe highly recommends that you clone both repositories and use a diff tool to compare the branches.

Also, keep in mind that a restore might cause your production and staging environments to fall out of sync. You are responsible for the consequences of restoring content.

Restore activity

The Restore Activity list shows the status of the ten most recent restore requests including any active restore operations.

By clicking  for a backup, you can download logs for that backup and inspect the code details including the differences between the snapshot and data at the moment the restore was initiated.

https://youtu.be/Yc4HpCY8knI 

Ensuring Authenticity in AEM Interviews

 Ensuring Authentic AEM Interview Candidates: Tips and Precautions for Hiring Managers

Hiring skilled Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) professionals is critical for organizations looking to manage content efficiently and deliver superior digital experiences. However, the rise of AI-assisted responses, proxy interviews, and candidate impersonation has made it increasingly challenging to ensure that applicants are truly qualified.

Here in this article, we explore practical tips and precautions to ensure that only real, experienced AEM candidates pass through your hiring process.

Why Candidate Authenticity Matters in AEM Hiring

AEM is a complex platform that requires hands-on experience with components such as:
Dispatcher configuration and caching

DAM (Digital Asset Management) workflows
* Cloud Manager and asset processing profiles
* Custom components and servlets

Candidates who misrepresent their experience can lead to project delays, poor implementations, and increased costs. Authentic hiring is not just about avoiding fraud — it’s about building strong teams that deliver results.


 1. Pre-Interview Verification

Before inviting candidates to the main interview:

1. Identity Verification

   * Request government-issued ID or official documents.
   * Cross-check LinkedIn profiles or professional photos.

2. Introductory Screening

   * Conduct a 5-minute chat to assess communication and basic AEM knowledge.
   * Ask about past projects, tools used, and team composition.

3. Use Background Verification Platforms

   * Platforms like HireRight, AuthBridge, or Onfido can help validate candidate credentials early.


 2. During the Interview

# a. Detecting AI Assistance

* Ask candidates to explain the code they just wrote.
* Follow up with scenario-based questions requiring real-world reasoning.
* Request live coding in shared environments such as CoderPad or Google Meet.

# b. Spotting Proxy or Impersonation

* Watch for delayed responses, unusual eye movements, or inconsistent speech patterns.
* Require camera and screen share simultaneously during technical rounds.
* For agency hires, ensure the candidate joins via verified corporate emails or controlled links.

# c. Testing Real Experience

* Ask about challenges faced in previous projects, such as optimizing DAM renditions or dispatcher caching issues.
* Real developers can discuss these experiences in detail; impostors often struggle.


 3. Post-Interview Verification

1. Technical Reference Checks

   * Call previous team leads or peers to validate work experience.

2. Re-Verification on Joining

   * Conduct a short hands-on task in AEM on Day 1.
   * Limit initial system access until validation is complete.


 4. Process and Policy Recommendations

* Standardize Interview SOPs: Include identity checks, live coding, follow-up scenario questions, and authenticity scoring.
* Leverage Technology: Use proctoring tools and AI-based fraud detection like Talview or Mettl.
* Vendor Accountability: For contract hires, include clauses to prevent proxy interviews.
* Maintain Records: Keep interview recordings for audit or follow-up verification.


 5. Build a Culture of Awareness

* Train interviewers to recognize AI-assisted answers and proxy participation.
* Encourage deeper probing into technical scenarios rather than relying on generic answers.
* Conduct regular awareness sessions on interview integrity and candidate verification.


 Conclusion

Ensuring authenticity in AEM interviews is no longer optional. By following pre-interview checks, live coding assessments, scenario-based questioning, post-interview validation, and standardized policies, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of hiring impostors or inexperienced candidates.

Authentic hiring builds stronger teams, better projects, and a more reliable AEM environment, driving long-term organizational success.

 

Integrating AEM as a Cloud Service Logs with Grafana Using AWS S3

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) as a Cloud Service is built for scalability and agility, making it ideal for enterprises delivering personalized digital experiences. However, as applications scale, the need for enhanced log monitoring and visualization becomes more pressing. While Adobe provides standard logging tools, teams often require more flexible and comprehensive solutions—like Grafana—to gain full observability.

In this guide, we’ll explore how AEM Cloud logs can be exported to AWS S3, processed, and ultimately visualized in Grafana for robust reporting and alerting.

Architecture Overview

 
The integration pipeline includes the following steps:

Steps

 
# AEM as a Cloud Service generates logs.
# Logs are forwarded to an AWS S3 bucket using Adobe’s log forwarding feature.
# A log processing service (e.g., Fluentd, Logstash, or AWS Lambda) reads logs from S3 and pushes them to a log aggregation tool like Grafana Loki or Elasticsearch.
# Grafana visualizes the data and enables custom alerting and dashboards.

 

Step-by-Step Integration

1. Enable Log Forwarding to AWS S3
AEM allows you to configure external log destinations. One of the supported destinations is Amazon S3, which provides a scalable, durable, and cost-effective solution for log storage.

2. Set Up an S3 Log Processing Pipeline
Once logs are stored in S3, a processing component is required to transform and forward them to Grafana-compatible data stores.

Options include:

AWS Lambda with S3 trigger: Automatically processes new logs and forwards them to a log collector.

Fluentd or Logstash running on AWS EC2 or Fargate: Periodically pulls logs from S3 and sends them to Loki or Elasticsearch.

3. Push Logs to Loki or Elasticsearch
Use your chosen processor to send parsed log data to:

Grafana Loki (for time-series-based log storage)

Elasticsearch (for full-text search and analytics)

Ensure that logs are structured and tagged appropriately (e.g., environment, service, log level).

4. Configure Grafana
Add the log storage backend (Loki or Elasticsearch) as a data source in Grafana. From there, you can:

- Create dashboards for operational monitoring

- Set up alerts on error thresholds, request patterns, or specific log events

- Drill down by environment, instance, or component

Benefits of This Architecture

✅ Separation of Concerns
Using AWS S3 as an intermediary decouples log ingestion from processing and analysis. This improves scalability and allows for batch or real-time processing.

✅ Reliable and Cost-Effective Storage
S3 offers high durability and lifecycle policies for managing log retention and archiving, helping optimize costs.

✅ Enhanced Flexibility
The modular pipeline lets you swap out processing components or destinations (e.g., move from Loki to OpenSearch) without disrupting the entire system.

✅ Rich Visualization and Alerts
Grafana provides robust visualization capabilities and integrates with alerting systems like Slack, PagerDuty, and email for real-time notifications.

Final Thoughts
By introducing AWS S3 as a central log storage layer between AEM and Grafana, teams gain flexibility, scalability, and powerful observability options. Whether you want real-time log monitoring or deep-dive analytics, this architecture provides a future-proof approach to managing AEM logs efficiently.


Reporting

To create reports and configure alerts for AEM as a Cloud Service logs using a solution like Grafana, follow these key steps:


 🔧 Step 1: Ensure Logs Are Structured and Indexed

Before creating reports or alerts:

1. Logs from AEM must be forwarded and ingested into a searchable/loggable store like:

   Grafana Loki
   Elasticsearch
2. Ensure logs are structured—use JSON formatting if possible—and include fields like:

   * `level` (INFO, WARN, ERROR)
   * `timestamp`
   * `service/component`
   * `message`
   * `environment` (author/publish)

---

 📊 Step 2: Create Dashboards in Grafana

1. Connect your data source:

   * In Grafana, go to Settings → Data Sources.
   * Add Loki or Elasticsearch depending on your backend.

2. Create a new dashboard:

   * Go to Dashboards → New Dashboard.
   * Add a panel with a query, for example:

     * For Loki:

       ```logql
       {app="aem", level="error"} |= "Exception"
       ```
     * For Elasticsearch:
       Use Lucene query:

       ```
       level:error AND message:*Exception*
       ```

3. Visualize with graphs or tables:

   * Line charts for error trends over time
   * Table view for detailed log entries
   * Bar charts for per-component errors



 🚨 Step 3: Configure Alerting

 In Grafana 9+ (Unified Alerting):

1. Open the panel where your log query is configured.
2. Click on “Alert” → “Create Alert Rule”.
3. Set the evaluation interval (e.g., every 1 min).
4. Define conditions:

   * e.g., *“When count() of logs with level=ERROR is above 10 for 5 minutes”*
5. Add labels and annotations to identify the alert.

 Example Alert Condition (Loki):

```yaml
expr: count_over_time({app="aem", level="error"}[5m]) > 10
```

 6. Configure notification channels:

* Go to Alerting → Contact points
* Add:

  * Email
  * Slack webhook
  * Microsoft Teams
  * PagerDuty
  * Opsgenie, etc.
* Associate contact points with your alert rule via notification policies


 ✅ Best Practices

Threshold tuning: Avoid alert fatigue by tuning thresholds carefully.
Environment separation: Create separate alerts for author and publish environments.
Alert grouping: Group multiple errors or similar logs into a single alert message to reduce noise.
Include context: Use annotations to include relevant log data or links to dashboards in the alert message.


 🎯 Example Use Cases

* Alert when error rate spikes (e.g., more than 50 errors in 10 minutes).
* Alert when specific patterns appear (e.g., `OutOfMemoryError`, `SlingException`).
* Alert when log frequency drops (indicating system inactivity or crash).
* Dashboard shows errors by component (e.g., DAM, Forms, Dispatcher).