NetVault Plug-in for SQL Server 12.0 - User Guide

Backing up data

Defining a backup strategy

The purpose of creating SQL Server backups is to recover a database that is damaged from media failure or data corruption. Reliable use of backup for recovery requires a strategy that maximizes data availability and minimizes data loss, while accounting for defined business requirements.

A backup strategy is divided into two pieces: a backup piece and a restore piece.

IMPORTANT: If you use Plug‑in for SQL Server, verify that you are not using a third-party program to complete additional backups of SQL Server. Otherwise, a conflict might occur during the restore or recovery process when the differential backups do not match.

For more information, review the following topics:

Reviewing the available backup methods

The plug-in offers the following backup methods:

The plug-in supports implementing an Online VDI or a pure VSS backup strategy, not a combination of the two.

Online Virtual Device Interface (VDI)

Microsoft supports the ability to perform online backups that use the VDI Application Program Interface (API) to integrate with a range of backup devices supported by NetVault Backup. Online VDI backups provide maximum reliability and flexibility when defining a backup strategy. This method supports the full range of backup types and options available with SQL Server’s Transact SQL language along with the ability to handle several recovery scenarios.

The backup-and-restore strategies available with the Online through VDI Backup Method are thoroughly discussed in the Backing Up and Restoring Databases section of the SQL Server Books Online.

Plug‑in for SQL Server’s Online through VDI backup method is the preferred backup method.

In VDI backup method, Plug‑in for SQL Server creates N (where, N represents the number of databases) number of user connections with SQL Server. Maximum one user connection is active at a time.

NetVault Backup supports VDI backup for databases with names that do not exceed 117 characters in length.

To perform VDI backups, NetVault Backup Plug‑in for SQL Server, use the BACKUP DATABASE Transact-SQL command. The Plug‑in for SQL Server uses the BACKUP DATABASE command that includes the NAME clause with a limit of 128 characters. The Plug‑in for SQL Server constructs the value to be passed to the NAME clause, using the database name, and a timestamp. Given the length in characters of the timestamp, results in 117 characters in length available for the name of the database.

If you are performing VDI backups including databases with names exceeding 117 characters in length, the backups complete with warnings, or with failed status. The NetVault Backup binary log shows the following ODBC message:

If you are performing backups using the VDI backup method, Quest recommends the name of the databases in your environment, to not exceed 117 characters. This limitation does not apply to backups performed using the VSS backup method.