Introducing Dell™ NetVault™ Backup Plug-in for SQL Server®
Dell NetVault Backup Plug-in for SQL Server: at a glance
Key benefits
Feature summary
Target audience
Recommended additional reading
Planning your SQL Server deployment
Installing and removing the plug-in
Installation prerequisites
Configuring the plug-in
Prerequisites for a standalone deployment
Additional prerequisites for a high-availability deployment
Installing or upgrading the plug-in in a standalone environment
Installing or upgrading the plug-in in a high-availability environment
Licensing the plug-in
Removing the plug-in from a standalone deployment
Removing a SQL Server® Instance
Configuring authentication details
Configuring plug-in options
Entering logon credentials for all instances on a client
Entering default logon credentials for a specific SQL Server Instance
Enabling communication between nodes in an AlwaysOn Availability Group
Changing the TCP/IP port for SQL Server®
Setting up SQL Server® Authentication for SQL Server 2012 or later
Backing up data
Defining a backup strategy
Restoring data
Reviewing the available backup methods
Reviewing SQL Server® recovery models
Defining an Online VDI backup strategy and reviewing types
Reviewing the compression features
Performing Online VDI backups
Full Database backup for Online VDI
Differential Database backup for Online VDI
Copy-Only backup for Online VDI
Incremental Transaction Log backup for Online VDI
Tail-Log backup for Online VDI
Full File and Filegroup backup for Online VDI
Differential File and Filegroup backup for Online VDI
Partial Database backup for Online VDI
Differential Partial Database Backup for Online VDI
Examples of VDI online backup sequences
Defining a VSS backup strategy and reviewing types
Examples of VSS backup sequences
Backing up system databases
Backing up replicated databases
Selecting data for an Online VDI backup
Setting backup options for an Online VDI backup with Plug-in for SQL Server
Finalizing and submitting an Online VDI backup job
Performing VSS backups in SQL Server®
Selecting data for a VSS backup
Setting backup options for a VSS backup
Finalizing and submitting a VSS backup job
Example of creating a full VDI backup of an AlwaysOn Availability Group
Restoring data: an overview
Troubleshooting
Reviewing the phases of the VDI restore sequence
Understanding the available types of Online VDI restores
Restoring system databases for Online VDI restore with Plug-in for SQL Server
Restoring databases involved in replication for Online VDI restore
Restoring data from Online VDI backups
Selecting Online VDI data for restore
Setting Online VDI restore options
Finalizing and submitting an Online VDI restore job
Restoring data from VSS backups
Selecting data for a VSS restore
Setting VSS restore options
Finalizing and submitting a VSS restore job
Using other restore procedures
Standalone deployment
You can set up one machine as both the NetVault Backup Server and the SQL Server®, that is, all software installation and configuration requirements are performed on a single machine. However, Dell recommends that these two entities exist on separate machines.
Figure 1. Standalone deployment
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Publisher: Install the plug-in on this node regardless of the replication type implemented. |
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Distributor: If you use a Local Distributor, the Distributor is running on the same node as the Publisher. However, if you use a Remote Distributor, install the plug-in on the Distributor host. |
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Subscriber: If you want to back up the changed data in a Subscriber database, install the plug-in on the Subscriber hosts. This configuration lets you synchronize the Publication database with the Subscription database after recovery. If the plug-in is not installed on the Subscriber nodes, re-initialize all subscriptions to the publications in the Publication database after recovery. |
High-availability deployments
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This guide does not offer instructions on how to set up NetVault Backup’s Application Cluster Support to administer backups and restores of non-SQL Server-related data and files. This process is not plug-in-specific, and you can find complete details in the Dell NetVault Backup Administrator’s Guide. |
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Before you continue, Dell recommends that you review all cluster-related information provided in the Dell NetVault Backup Administrator’s Guide. That guides helps you understand how the information included in this guide works with SQL Server Failover Cluster and AlwaysOn Availability Group functionality. |
Failover Clustering
A failover cluster is a combination of one or more nodes (hosts) with two or more shared disks, known as a resource group. The combination of a resource group, its network name, and an IP address that makes up the clustered application or server is called a Virtual Server. A Virtual Server appears on the network as if it were a single computer, but provides failover from one node to different node if the current node becomes unavailable.
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IMPORTANT: In NetVault Backup terminology, a cluster node is called a Virtual Client. The references to Virtual Client in Plug‑in for SQL Server are basically references to the Virtual Server in a SQL Server Failover Cluster environment or AlwaysOn Availability Group. |
Make sure that you use the same Windows Server® to host the Cluster Core Resources group and to take the active role. The Cluster Core Resources group contains the IP address, network name, and the disk witness. For the Virtual Client to function correctly, the Windows Server that hosts the Cluster Core Resources group, that is, the host identified as the Current Host Server, must be the same node that holds the active role. If failover occurs and the active role moves to a different host but the Cluster Core Resources group does not, the Virtual Client cannot access the active host. The Virtual Client must resolve the IP address for the cluster to the server that takes the active role.
If necessary, such as after a failover occurs, use Windows PowerShell® or a command prompt to move the Cluster Core Resources group to the active host.
AlwaysOn Availability Group
To ensure that the plug identifies a Virtual Client as running on an AlwaysOn Availability Group, you must enter valid credentials for the All Instances node located under the applicable Virtual Client in the selection tree. The credentials must let the plug-in log in to at least one SQL Server Instance that is a member of the group. For more information, see Configuring the plug-in.
Figure 2. AlwaysOn deployment
