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 Backup system recommendations

Author  Topic 

nlocklin
Yak Posting Veteran

69 Posts

Posted - 2005-01-10 : 11:28:28
I have been asked to specify a hardware/software solution for the SQL Server backups in my organization. Currently I have nightly jobs in SQL Server that back up our databases and transaction logs to disk (to a share on another server), and then our Systems staff does a nightly backup of that server.

We have purchased the SQL Server Agent for Backup Exec, but our Systems staff only intends to use it for disaster recovery (i.e. they're only going to keep the previous night's backup).

If you had a fairly unlimited budget, what hardware/software would you recommend? I'm trying to decide whether it would be best to just get another copy of Backup Exec (and either have Backup Exec do the backups directly from SQL or just back up the backup files from disk), or whether I should use some sort of juke box or tape library system...

If anyone has any advice or recommendations, I'd very much appreciate it. Our goal is to be able to recover any of these files to restore a database as it was on any given day.

--
"It's not that I'm lazy... it's that I just don't care."

nr
SQLTeam MVY

12543 Posts

Posted - 2005-01-10 : 11:42:33
>> just back up the backup files from disk
No.

I would use a backup command to backup all the databases to a local disk
see
http://www.mindsdoor.net/SQLAdmin/BackupAllDatabases.html

Then copy the files to the remote server if you only have room for one backup locally. I would hold at least 3 if possible.
see
http://www.mindsdoor.net/SQLAdmin/s_nrSyncDir.html

And back up to tape from there.


Make sure you test the backups regularly - every backup for important ones. This needs a restore followed by a checkdb.
see
http://www.mindsdoor.net/SQLAdmin/s_TestRestore.html
http://www.mindsdoor.net/SQLAdmin/s_CopyLatestBackup.html
http://www.mindsdoor.net/SQLAdmin/s_RestoreLatestBackup.html

==========================================
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DTS can be used in a similar way.
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nlocklin
Yak Posting Veteran

69 Posts

Posted - 2005-01-10 : 16:40:17
quote:

And back up to tape from there.


What software and hardware do you use to back up tape? What would you recommend (assuming budget isn't a constraint)?

Thanks!


--
"It's not that I'm lazy... it's that I just don't care."
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derrickleggett
Pointy Haired Yak DBA

4184 Posts

Posted - 2005-01-10 : 17:27:33
Do you have a SAN?

MeanOldDBA
derrickleggett@hotmail.com

When life gives you a lemon, fire the DBA.
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nlocklin
Yak Posting Veteran

69 Posts

Posted - 2005-01-11 : 14:47:50
quote:
Originally posted by derrickleggett

Do you have a SAN?



We do have a SAN (our production SQL Server is running as a fail-over cluster using the SAN). I believe that our Systems staff does not want us to store the files there (and to be honest, I'd be a little worried about having the backups in the same place as the production data).

They've suggested some sort of tape library, which seems like a good idea to me, but I don't know anything about them so I'd have no idea what to purchase. Does anyone have any recommendations or advice on where to look for product reviews?

Thanks again!

--
"It's not that I'm lazy... it's that I just don't care."
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derrickleggett
Pointy Haired Yak DBA

4184 Posts

Posted - 2005-01-12 : 20:15:43
You can buy a Quantum tape drive and attach it to the SAN. You can then buy ComVault or Veritas to backup directly over the SAN. This keeps the backups from hitting the main network.

MeanOldDBA
derrickleggett@hotmail.com

When life gives you a lemon, fire the DBA.
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