Backup3G/DA-SQLserver 1.1 Release Notes

From Documentation

Overview and Features

DA-SQLserver for Windows is a backup module for the backup and recovery of Micrsoft™ SQL Server databases. This module has also been certified for use with SQL Server 2000 and 2005.

The distribution is generic and will run on all UNIX platforms supported by COSbackup 3.2.6 or newer.

Features in DA-Lotus

• full SQL Server online database backup
• differential SQL Server online database backup
• online backup of SQL Server transaction log for a given database
• restore of SQL Server databases
• restore SQL Server 2000 database backups to SQL Server 2005

Environment

Software Prerequisites

Before you can install DA-SQLserver 1.1, you must have:

• Enterprise Windows Client 3.1.1 (or newer) already be installed on the same Windows host
• COSbackup installed on a UNIX/Linux server in the same network

Disk Space Required

DA-SQLserver 1.1 is installed in the EWC home directory by pushing the software from the COSbackup Master to the Windows server. It requires less than 200 Kbytes disk space on both servers.

Supported Microsoft™ SQL Server Versions

DA-SQLserver V1.1 supports Microsoft™ SQL Server versions:

• SQL Server 2000 (version 8.0)
• SQL Server 2005 (version 9.0)

and the Windows versions supported are:

• Winodws 2000
• Windows XP
• Windows 2003.

Installing DA-SQLserver for Windows

To install the DA-SQLserver module, you must already have COSmanager and COSbackup installed on your COSbackup Master. Before installing the DA-SQLserver, check the System Requirements to ensure your system has the required resources.

You need :

• a COSbackup Master host that is connected to the network
• be logged in as the root user
• one or more Windows 2000, XP or 2003 servers with EWC 3.1.1 (or later) installed and running Microsoft™ SQL Server.

The procedure is:

1. Copy the DA-SQLserver distribution file to your UNIX/Linux COSbackup Master and place it in /tmp
2. Login to COSmanager on the COSbackup Master as a user with the Manager role
3. Using the standard COSmanager application installation method, install the DA-SQLserver module.

The above will install the SQLserver backup format, and backup and recovery methods.

Now you need to push the client software to the Windows clients:

1. Select Config > COSbackup configuration > Initial Configuration from the COSmanager buttonbar
2. Select Push SQLserver backup client to Windows clients , then select Perform > Selected
3. Select all the Windows hosts that require the SQLserver backup software and press Accept.

Notes

Defining Backup Items

You must define the backup item Object for a SQL Server online backup as:

SQL-Server-name/Database-name

For example, HR/Payroll

By specifying the -s <file pattern> flag in the backup item Options, the SQL Server database backup will include files that match <file pattern>.

For example, -s “C:/Program Files/Microsoft SQL Server/MSSQL\$HR/Binn/sqlctr.*”.

	Note
	When specifying addition files to be backed up along with the database backup, the $ character must be protected by preceding it with a \, as in the above example.

Simultaneous Backups

You cannot run two or more online backup jobs of the same database at the same time. Doing so will result in errors.

Recovery to an active SQL Server 2000 database

The proceedure to recover a database is as follows:

1. From the SQL Server Enterprise Manager take the database to be recovered offline
2. If restoring to a different SQL Server, first run New Database ... from SQL Server Enterprise Manager to create an entry for the database you wish to restore
3. Restore from the first backup (typically a full backup)
4. If appropriate, restore from the last differential backup
5. If appropriate, restore from transaction log backup(s)
6. From the SQL Server Query Analyser, select the Server and select the Database and run the SQL query
   restore database <database> with recovery

The last step is required as COSbackup performs all the SQL Server recoveries without rolling forward. This is necessary because once you roll forward you can not restore any more differential or transaction log backups.

Recovery to an active SQL Server 2005 database

The proceedure to recover a database is as follows:

1. From the SQL Server Enterprise Management Studio, select the Server and select the Database and run the SQL query
   sp_dboption ‘<database>’, ‘offline’, ‘true’
   to take the database to be recovered offline
2. If restoring to a different SQL Server, first run New Database ... from SQL Server Enterprise Management Studio to create an entry for the database you wish to restore
3. Restore from the first backup (typically a full backup)
4. If appropriate, restore from the last differential backup
5. If appropriate, restore from transaction log backup(s)
6. From the SQL Server Enterprise Management Studio, select the Server and select the Database and run the SQL query
   restore database <database> with recovery
7. From the SQL Server Enterprise Management Studio, select the Server and select the Database and run the SQL query
   sp_dboption ‘<database>’, ‘offline’, ‘false’
   to place the database online.

Step 6 is required as COSbackup performs all the SQL Server recoveries without rolling forward. COSbackup does this because once you roll forward you can not restore any more differential or transaction log backups without starting the whole recovery process from the beginning.

Warnings

The statement BACKUP LOG is not allowed while the recovery model is SIMPLE

Transaction Log backups can only be performed for databases whose recovery model is set to Full or Bulk-Logged.

To enable Full transaction logging for a specific database, from the SQL Server shell (osql), run

ALTER DATABASE <database> SET RECOVERY FULL

Database backup cannot span more than one tape

When performing an Online backup an error will occur when end of media is reached. It is recommended that Online backups be the first step in a backup job.

The TEMPDB database cannot be backed up

SQL Server doesn't allow the TEMPDB database to be backed up.

Transactions Logs cannot be backed up for the MASTER and TEMPDB databases

SQL Server doesn't allow the backup of the transaction logs for the MASTER and TEMPDB databases.

Hardware and OS Dependencies

None known.