Backing up SIMS.net

[training_needed]

Hi first post so take it easy on me! Have a new sims server 2003 runing sql2005. I need to back it up the problem comes in the form of no tape drive in the server! ( i have nothing to do with ordering servers) Can i back it up to a hard drive attached via USB and I just use NT Backup? Any other ideas would be greatfully taken.

training needed:)

[BKGarry]

The USB drive with NTBackup would be fine, esepecially is you use USBDLM so it always uses the same Drive letter when you insert it.

 

Personally here, we have one server with a large tape drive and backup all of ourservers using symantec backup exec with the remote agent.

[superfletch]

Get yourself a tape drive squire - you wouldn't want anything to happen to that USB hard disk...

 

Tapes might need a bit of setting up but once you've got them going they are ideal for your needs.

 

You could also weigh up a remote backup option so long as it has an SQL Server plugin...

[training_needed]

cheers for that BKGarry where you from in the northflleet as thats where i from! We have a sony autoloader with 7 tapes and it was my plan to backup up onto this but when i bought the extra remote agent the supplier sent me version 11d said they could not get 10d anymore but we have 10d on the main server and i can't seem to get the two to work together?

training needed

[apeo]

I couldnt get the remote agent to work at all.. it would only backup system state but kept saying it didnt have access to the drives i.e. any shares including the admin ones like c$. As an interim solution i use dbattach to create a backup of the database, then i copy the zip file onto another server which backs it up to tape.

[steveg]

If you've got a backup device on another server, then you could just use NT backup on the sims server and backup to a file on another server. This would then get copied to tape that night, if scheduled to run before your tape backup job.

 

Could even just use a maintenance task in SQL to make the .bak files from your sql database, and a scheduled xcopy job to copy them to another server?

 

Steve

[altecsole]

Hi first post so take it easy on me! Have a new sims server 2003 runing sql2005. I need to back it up the problem comes in the form of no tape drive in the server! ( i have nothing to do with ordering servers) Can i back it up to a hard drive attached via USB and I just use NT Backup? Any other ideas would be greatfully taken.

training needed:)

 

We use DBAttach.exe to create a zipped backup of the SIMS database and then use NTBackup to backup to a network location (Buffalo Terastation). We also do a local backup on a Friday to a local USB drive for offsite storage.

[Ric_]

Would it not be easiest to simply use a Maintenance Plan to backup the SIMS database directly to a share on another server that can copy to tape for you?

[superfletch]

I agree with Ric,

 

If you can't get a tape drive in the thing back it up to a mounted drive on a server that does have a tape drive and get it in that way.

 

DVD-R's could be another option?

[apeo]

Correct me if im wrong but that doesnt zip up the database (just creates a .bak file) and isnt there an issue with users passwords being reset if you restore it from a bak file? Maintenance Plan is probably more tidy but i wouldnt say its easier, just another way to do it.

[altecsole]

Correct me if im wrong but that doesnt zip up the database (just creates a .bak file)

 

If you're talking about using DBAttach.exe then no. It creates a zip file with the date as part of the file name - dead easy then then backup using whatever method you like.

[apeo]

If you're talking about using DBAttach.exe then no. It creates a zip file with the date as part of the file name - dead easy then then backup using whatever method you like.

 

I already know DBAttach does zip up the file (as i stated in a post above ive used it in the past) and i was talking about Maintenance Plans.

[Ric_]

Maintenance plans do not zip the file by default... although I think you can add extra actions in there. It does tidy up the whole backup and scheduling though and it can dump directly to anywhere on your network. Using a maintenance plan is also an incredibly quick way to perform a backup!

[apeo]

Maintenance plans do not zip the file by default... although I think you can add extra actions in there. It does tidy up the whole backup and scheduling though and it can dump directly to anywhere on your network. Using a maintenance plan is also an incredibly quick way to perform a backup!

 

Is there an issue when restoring tho? i.e. all the user passwords get reset.

[superfletch]

The username passwords can get reset when you move from SQL (old style MSDE) to SQL 2005/Express. It's something to do with the master.ldf/mdf pair not being read properly.

 

This also happened to us moving from 32 bit Server to 64 bit server.

 

Way around it is to create your backup in DBAttach (latest version) first, then restore your backup via dbattach too.

 

(To be on the latest DBAttach run SIMSSQLApplicationSetup first)

 

Commandline, at the ........MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Binn folder,

 

DBAttach /RESTOREUI

 

 

 

This gives you an extra option on DBAttach to restore a previously backed up database and this uses the SIMS.bak file but also reads from the master.bak file (don't ask me how it just works).

 

Not had a problem with losing passwords since I've been restoring via DBAttach /RESTOREUI.

[Ric_]

@apeo: You should be OK as long as the Master database is backed up also... I cannot see why the passwords would be reset because it is simply a dump of your data.

[apeo]

This gives you an extra option on DBAttach to restore a previously backed up database and this uses the SIMS.bak file but also reads from the master.bak file (don't ask me how it just works).

 

Not had a problem with losing passwords since I've been restoring via DBAttach /RESTOREUI.

 

Are you talking about the .bak file found in a zip file created by DBAttach?

 

@Ric_: Course.. duh.. im just being 'special' again.

[apeo]

BTW heres what capita has to say on the subject:

BackupSIMSandFMS_280308_13798.pdf

[superfletch]

Hope this clarifies a bit...

 

I haven't got one in front of me to check exactly what happens, but using DBAttach to Backup does backup the master pair as well as the sims pair.

 

I think it then bunches them all together in a BAK file when it finishes, but it might not. So having said that when you do your DBAttach Backup, watch the MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Backup folder and keep pressing F5 (refresh) to see what it is doing.

 

If the files are bundled separately just make sure they are in the same directory when you restore them.

 

As long as you restore from the one you backed up in DBAttach you should be ok.

 

DBAttach /RESTORUI doesn't seem to like restoring from Extrenal (USB) hard disks or mapped drives in my experience...

[apeo]

Hope this clarifies a bit...

 

I haven't got one in front of me to check exactly what happens, but using DBAttach to Backup does backup the master pair as well as the sims pair.

 

I think it then bunches them all together in a BAK file when it finishes, but it might not. So having said that when you do your DBAttach Backup, watch the MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Backup folder and keep pressing F5 (refresh) to see what it is doing.

 

If the files are bundled separately just make sure they are in the same directory when you restore them.

 

As long as you restore from the one you backed up in DBAttach you should be ok.

 

DBAttach /RESTORUI doesn't seem to like restoring from Extrenal (USB) hard disks or mapped drives in my experience...

 

What i figured it did, which i why i thought using a Maintenance Plan would mean user passwords are reset but naturally you would backup master too as part of the plan. Was just being dense and thinking sims was the only thing being backed up as part of the plan.

[superfletch]

Just for info as no one has posted on this thread for a while, found this on support net this morning,

 

looks like the files get bundled separately.

 

You then use DBattach /RESTOREUI to pick up the databasename.bak file and it also draws info from the master.bak for logins....

 

 

KB23426 - How to backup a Database

 

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Created 15/04/2004

Last Updated 08/08/2006

 

 

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Affected Products SIMS .net System Maintenance & Utilities

 

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Notes How to backup a Database

 

 

Backing up a Database

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Additional Notes

ADDITIONAL NOTES

This will create three backups:

1. master.bak

2. msdb.bak

3. .bak

 

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Advice 1. Run Dbattach.exe

For instructions please see solution KB23423 or alternatively, if using Web Support click here.

 

2. Select the database you wish to backup, by clicking on the down arrow next to the Database Name field in the Backup a Database panel.

 

3. Click on the Backup button to start the backup process.

 

A status message at the bottom of the dialog will be displayed when the database

has been backed up.

[button_ripple]

Get yourself an Iomega REV drive. You can plug it in via USB and it treat's it like a memory stick which makes the backups faster than normal tape drives.

 

Also, if using SIMS make sure that you extract the SQL data (there should be a shortcut on the desktop!). We found out that our office manager (they were doing the backups (don't know why!)) wasn't extracting the data and they weren't really doing much of a backup because of it!

[broc]

Our SIMS Administrator routinely uses System Manager to take backups of our SIMS.net data after she has made major changes to the system or has input loads of user data.

 

Last Friday we discovered a problem with these backups while uploading one to our LA support team to investigate a problem. When we try to unzip the ZIP file it fails. I have tried the latest version of WinRAR without success, it reports unexpected end of archive.

 

Any ideas?

 

Is there any way I 'disable' the ZIP process temporarily until I got to the bottom of this?