Backup Exec 12.5 for SQL Backups, nothing Else?

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Backup Exec 12.5 for SQL Backups, nothing Else?

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J-F Bergeron SSCrazy Eights Points: 8593 More actions · Answer 1

Guys, that confirms what I thought about using Backup Exec for Sql Backups.

I thank all of you for those great thoughts on the subject, and I'll of course fight against having the idea of having BE doing my sql backups.

You all confirmed the fact that it might not be a so good idea to let the tool handle the complete solution, but having backups on tape (.bak files) is a great idea. So I'll stick with it.

Thanks you all for the amount of answers, I really appreciate it.

Have a nice day,

Cheers,

J-F

Roy Ernest SSC-Dedicated Points: 38780 More actions · Answer 2

Hey J-F,

Check this thread out. This was an interesting discussion as well regarding the same matter. 🙂

-Roy

J-F Bergeron SSCrazy Eights Points: 8593 More actions · Answer 3

Thanks a lot Roy, I think we all have the same concern about the time it takes and the quality of the backups that will be taken with those automated tools!

By the way, for automating backups (full + diffs) would you use :

1. The maintenance plan feature

2. The SQL Agent with a stored proc?

3. The SQL Agent with a SSIS process for backuping and deleting too old backups?

Curious to see what people like to use, and what are the pros and cons of each!

I might not even be spot on, maybe there is another tool that I did not think about!

Thanks

Cheers,

J-F

Luke L SSC-Dedicated Points: 35547 More actions · Answer 4

For me it depends upon the complexity of the backup system. I have machines using maint plans because they're easy and then I have other ones where a customized script is setup in a SQL Agent job. I know there are those out there that frown upon them, but for some simple backup plans a maintenance plan is just the ticket. easy to setup, easy to manage.

For you, if you keep a couple of days worth of backups on your local disks and then have the network admin backup those directories, a maintenance plan or SSIS task to go back and cleaup old backup files after successful completion of the most recent backup would probably work well.

But that's just my $.0200, YMMV.

-Luke.

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GabyYYZ SSCertifiable Points: 7913 More actions · Answer 5

I don't know if anyone else does this, but after every full backup, I immediately generate a transaction log backup. This may be due to paranoia that if a trans backup occurs during the full backup, I may accidentally purge the wrong backup (plus I'm not sure how a trans backup made during a full would behave if I had to restore it).

Gaby________________________________________________________________"In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not." - Albert Einstein

Vivien Xing SSChampion Points: 12297 More actions · Answer 6

A couple comments here:

1. BE can do all kinds of DB backups. They have very good documentation about how to set it up and optimization for SQL backups. Google it for your environment/version. DBA should know how to use it as a user and SQL host as a client for backup/restore.

2. Tape does not necessary mean physical tape nowadays. It could be virtual tape library/storage (consolidation, fast I/O…). Media is a better word to describe the backup destination on my own opinion. Backup set then goes to the physical tape sooner or later.

3. Network admin may be trying to introduce the new technology to your workshop. Work with him/her first and try out the pros/cons and let the facts speak themselves.

4. Vendor support tech forum may give you some clues about the existing problems and support quality.

5. You can speak as a DBA, but this is not a simple technical or a DBA preferred decision.

Jack Corbett SSC Guru Points: 184393 More actions · Answer 7

I'd not recommend it for the reasons already mentioned.

Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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george sibbald SSC Guru Points: 104210 More actions · Answer 8

2. Tape does not necessary mean physical tape nowadays. It could be virtual tape library/storage (consolidation, fast I/O…). Media is a better word to describe the backup destination on my own opinion. Backup set then goes to the physical tape sooner or later.

Agreed, This is an area where these tools have moved forward, tape does not mean tape anymore, so reliability is much better. Still means some expensive hardware you need to buy and a longer recovery time.

4. Vendor support tech forum may give you some clues about the existing problems and support quality.

this is another part of the problem with entrusting your backup and recovery to a tool. there is a huge user base for the native tools and any situations you find yourself in someone else is likely to have hit before and there are solutions on the net. That won't be so much the case with tools. I even find the error codes out of redgate somewhat obtuse (there I said it).

5. You can speak as a DBA, but this is not a simple technical or a DBA preferred decision.

can you explain that one Vivien, when is database backup and recovery not a preferred DBA decision?

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Vivien Xing SSChampion Points: 12297 More actions · Answer 9

george sibbald-364359 (11/7/2009)
can you explain that one Vivien, when is database backup and recovery not a preferred DBA decision?

For this case, when/if BE can better benefit the organization.

Backup strategy involves SLA, process, cost, auditing, etc. It is more than a simple technical decision or DBA can decide own his/her own (unless in a small company where DBA wears many titles).

My point is there are many backup options available. DBA should be open to these new technologies and different ways of doing DBA work.

alen teplitsky SSC-Dedicated Points: 30014 More actions · Answer 10

i've been using Netbackup for almost 10 years now and have been managing it for 3-5 years in addition to being a DBA. it's very easy to learn, very easy to set up. speed depends on the tape tech you are using. we're on LTO-4 which maxes out at 700GB per hour per tape drive. LTO-5 is coming next year which doubles that and double the capacity to 1.6TB/3.2TB raw and compressed. with LTO-4 i'm actually seeing a lot of tapes hold 3TB of data. i thought it was a mistake and asked about this on the Netbackup forums and people said that it's normal and that they advertise on the lower end of the performance envelope. for the server we have a cheapo HP Proliant DL 380 G5. you can't use anything less since the I/O of the server will determine your backup speed.

we looked at SAN client backups for Netbackup, but it was too expensive and with 10 gigabit ethernet getting very cheap and very fast I/O servers that came out this year it doesn't make sense.

just make sure you use the SQL agent for backups, don't backup your databases as an NT backup