Backing up Microsoft SQL

[RabbieBurns]

We are making more use of SQL databases now. ILM has its own SQL database, and now we have just gone to Oliver 5.0 this uses its own SQL database as well. Im pretty new to SQL and dont really know much ;p

What is the best way to backup these SQL databases?

We have Backup Exec 2010, is there an SQL component for that (and does it require extra licensing?)

Or is the internal backup from within SQL sufficient? (whats the best way to set this up?)

Cheers

[MrWu]

From using older versions of backup exec before,we had to purchase the SQL licences.

We ended up using maintenance plans in SQL to backup up all databases to the hard drive and then use Backup Exec to back the bak files up.

Hope this helps

[Tall_Paul]

Yes, you will have to purchase SQL agents from Symantec to enable Backup Exec to backup your databases.

For my SQL Server Express databases I run a script that generates a flat file that I then backup. The obvious disadvantage being the time lag between the file being generated and it being backed up.

[RabbieBurns]

thanks. Ive just ended up going with a full disk backup option backing up the entire server. (shadowprotect server)

[Tall_Paul]

thanks. Ive just ended up going with a full disk backup option backing up the entire server. (shadowprotect server)

Have you purchased a SQL agent from Symantec? If not it won't back up your database correctly.

[RabbieBurns]

Ive just ended up going with a full disk backup option backing up the entire server. Using shadowprotect server. Not Symantec.

[plexer]

I run a script using expressmaint.exe to do this and whilst it's not on the same level of transactional backups it is good enough for our purposes.

Ben

[Tall_Paul]

Ah, sorry. My bad!

[edutech4schools]

depending on your version of SQL it can do its own backup which creates a file in the sql backups folder. Simply back this folder up as normal.

[Dickens]

Rabbie - have you tried doing a restore of the SQL database from your full disk backup - apologies if you have and I'm teaching you to suck eggs. We ended up going the same way as others have above, nightly incremental DB backups from SQL Server Management Studio with a weekly full backup of each DB. These get picked up by the file backup job that runs 1 hour later each night - we've test restored the backups and confirmed it's all good.

[RabbieBurns]

Ive brought the backuped disk up in a VM and its fine. Shadowprotect backs up the disk not the files, and lets you restore the entire server not just an application or file.