Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Backup Process

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I actually do a restore from prod to UAT every night for two purposes. 1) Test the backup and 2) Keep the UAT database up to snuff. Yes... if they have any new objects that aren't in prod, they'll be blown away so there's actually a 3rd reason... test and retest the code/object promotio scripts.

--Jeff Moden

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RBAR is pronounced ree-bar and is a Modenism for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
Stop thinking about what you want to do to a row... think, instead, of what you want to do to a column.
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"However even if you automate restores of all your databases, make sure you still practice your manual skills regularly. Automation might not work in a disaster situation.. "

Excellent advice, we have had to restore under fire and having the knowledge ready and not having to do a complete refresh of the process or have someone relearn it due to unfamiliarity saves a lot of time.

Not all gray hairs are Dinosaurs!

I restore and test at least monthly. I just can't imagine how ugly it would be if something happened and I was unprepared.

Restores are pointless if you are not even doing your backups properly. I have gone into many shops in the past where they weren't even backing up their databases properly. If you saw the shape some IT shops out there are in nowadays it would amaze you how they are still in business.:-D

"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"

Point well taken. Who wants to move from a failed system or a corrupted database to a corrupt backup or to have to start over? You cannot really do either. So without a viable backup the successful options look like the case of "slim or none".

:-)

Not all gray hairs are Dinosaurs!

Once awhile back working at an advertising company when I noticed that a crucial production advertising database had not been backed up since it was created for almost a year!!! When I asked the IT manager and acting DBA why this was, his response was "Well...we never got around to it, we meant to though.." I just shook my head in incredulous disbelief, but the fact of matter is this kind of buffoonery is much more common than you might think out there in this industry today. There are far to many people in this business that have absolutely no business being in this business in the first place. They should be working in a flower shop IMHO. :-D

"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"

I know of one place that does backup to the USB drive, yet they have 2 SANs?!

During a DR test the admin guys were too rushed to do a full restore and the BOLs were forgotton and there was no internet access. I was lucky as I could still sort out the issues but it did make me more cautious about having a crib sheet.