LiteSpeed's Logic for Backing Up Multiple Databases
LiteSpeed provides you with many flexible options for selecting databases to include in a backup job or in a backup task of a maintenance plan. If there are conflicting conditions (for example, you selected to back up databases, matching the 'DirectD*' pattern and skip read-only databases, while the name of a read-only database matches the pattern), the Exclude condition wins over Include.
NOTE: LiteSpeed wizards may have different Exclude/Include options for selecting databases.
Include Databases
You can specify databases:
NOTE: New user databases will also be backed up as part of the "All databases" or "User databases" groups or if they match the specified pattern, unless they are excluded by an Exclude option. For more information, see Exclude Databases.
Depending on the LiteSpeed wizard, you cannot mix selection methods. Instead, you can schedule several subplans or jobs using different selection methods.
Exclude Databases
Using these options you can further define databases you want to back up.
You can exclude the following databases:
- Offline
- Selected—LiteSpeed will backup all included existing and new databases, except those you select manually and those excluded by a different Exclude option.
- Deleted
- Log Shipping
- Read Only
NOTE: Mirror databases and database snapshots are automatically excluded.
Back Up SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Groups
Versions 7.0 and later of LiteSpeed provide enhanced support for databases participating in AlwaysOn availability groups (SQL Server 2012 and above). You can include availability databases in a maintenance plan or a backup job, as well as perform backups on individual replicas.
In maintenance plans and backup templates, the following options define which replicas are eligible for backup:
- Back up preferred—This is the default option. LiteSpeed will follow the logic defined for the availability group by the database administrator and back up databases accordingly, provided the jobs or maintenance plans are configured on every server instance that hosts an availability replica. The default AlwaysOn configuration is to back up a secondary replica only, unless the primary replica is the only replica online.
- Only back up the primary—The primary is backed up each time, regardless of AlwaysOn configuration.
- Back up all (primary and secondaries)— All primaries and secondaries are backed up each time, regardless of AlwaysOn configuration.
- Back up none—AlwaysOn databases are ignored during backup.
NOTES:
- Fast Compression is not supported on secondary replicas in AlwaysOn Availability Groups. Backups must be performed on the primary because differential backups are not supported on secondaries.
- Performing full, file and filegroup backups on secondary replicas in an AlwaysOn Availability Group will always produce copy-only backups. Please refer to the SQL Server product documentation (SQL Server 2012 and above) for information about supported backup types.
- In Maintenance Plans if you select the Differential backup type, all secondary replicas in an AlwaysOn Availability Group are automatically excluded. In the Multi-Database Backup Wizard they are not excluded and differential backup for secondary replicas will fail.
- In Maintenance Plans and in the Multi-Database Backup Wizard, if you select the Transaction log backup type and turn on the Copy Only option, backups for all secondary replicas will fail because transaction log backups with Copy Only are not supported on secondaries.
Related Topics
Create Backup Templates
About Creating Maintenance Plans
Multi-Database Backup
