Microsoft Data Protection Manager (DPM), thoughts and best practices ?

  • At my current employer (which I joined in November 2015) they use Microsoft Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2012 SP1 for all their backups and with SQL Server backups there's just something about it I don't like, in general there's a feeling in my bones that I don't like DPM but maybe this is due to a lack of skills / familiarity with it and actually it's a very good backup product ?.

    I thought I'd start this thread so that I can ask a few questions about DPM specific to SQL Server backups and maybe get some advice ?.

    Our ERP system is using SQL Server 2005, protected by DPM, and I feel twitchy about the DB's recovery model being simple, it just seems alien to me, however with DPM is it preferred to use simple recovery and regular point in time backups or should I still be using full recovery model and regularly backing up logs like I usually would do instead ?.

    Thanks.

  • Only 2 days have gone by since my post, which is not much, but with no replies so far I'm starting to think that those of us who like to sleep safely at night don't use DPM to natively backup our SQL Server db's ? 😉

    (Other than using DPM to backup the backups we create within SSMS itself ?)

  • This tool doesn't work very well with T-LOGS and point in time recovery. It did however do some sort of recovery, but not to the specific time I requested. It has a lot of drawbacks too.

    One which I remember is if you decommission it you lose all historic backups. It failed most of the test I arranged for it.

    It is pretty poor. Only backup with SQL specific backup tools. ie redgate,idera, SQL native backups or T-sql OLA HALENGREN scripts.

    There is enough about it online to review the drawbacks.

    Avoid it at all costs. But hey test it yourself.

  • In terms of recovery, it depends on how much data they are willing to lose in the event of a disaster or if physical corruption is found. If it is an highly transactional db then Simple mode may not be best and DPM will certainly not be the best backup tool\method.

Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply