Backup Strategy : Microsoft Backup or Veritas

I am trying to decide if we should use Microsoft Backup (Database Maintenance
Plans) or use Veritas. We already own Veritas, and the SQL clients.
Option 1. Do Not use Veritas SQL client. Use Microsoft Backup to produce a
.BAK file on the SAN. Use the Network install of Veritas (not on SQL svr) to
backup the .BAKs from the SAN. Downside: disk space on SAN is required.
Upside: using standard Microsoft tools. Downside: Need to store more than one
.BAK on the SAN for safety.
Option 2. Use Veritas SQL client. Do not use standard Microsoft backup
tools. Veritas SQL client will backup directly to tape. No space on the SAN
is required.
I am looking for a pros and cons of each to help me make my decision
thank you
ChrisChris
I have no experience with this vendor so I can tell you nothing but based
on lots of years of experience with MS BACKUP strategy I can tell that I
had never problems with it , I mean if you have a proper .BAK (using BACKUP
DATABASE...) file and you attempt to do a RESTORE command you are going to
get a healthy database always
"Chris" <Chris@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0DA2F41F-8CF7-4EAB-B0E3-C368D403A947@.microsoft.com...
>I am trying to decide if we should use Microsoft Backup (Database
>Maintenance
> Plans) or use Veritas. We already own Veritas, and the SQL clients.
> Option 1. Do Not use Veritas SQL client. Use Microsoft Backup to produce a
> .BAK file on the SAN. Use the Network install of Veritas (not on SQL svr)
> to
> backup the .BAKs from the SAN. Downside: disk space on SAN is required.
> Upside: using standard Microsoft tools. Downside: Need to store more than
> one
> .BAK on the SAN for safety.
> Option 2. Use Veritas SQL client. Do not use standard Microsoft backup
> tools. Veritas SQL client will backup directly to tape. No space on the
> SAN
> is required.
>
> I am looking for a pros and cons of each to help me make my decision
> thank you
> Chris|||Uri Dimant wrote:
> Chris
> I have no experience with this vendor so I can tell you nothing but based
> on lots of years of experience with MS BACKUP strategy I can tell that I
> had never problems with it , I mean if you have a proper .BAK (using BACKUP
> DATABASE...) file and you attempt to do a RESTORE command you are going to
> get a healthy database always
>
>
> "Chris" <Chris@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:0DA2F41F-8CF7-4EAB-B0E3-C368D403A947@.microsoft.com...
>> I am trying to decide if we should use Microsoft Backup (Database
>> Maintenance
>> Plans) or use Veritas. We already own Veritas, and the SQL clients.
>> Option 1. Do Not use Veritas SQL client. Use Microsoft Backup to produce a
>> .BAK file on the SAN. Use the Network install of Veritas (not on SQL svr)
>> to
>> backup the .BAKs from the SAN. Downside: disk space on SAN is required.
>> Upside: using standard Microsoft tools. Downside: Need to store more than
>> one
>> .BAK on the SAN for safety.
>> Option 2. Use Veritas SQL client. Do not use standard Microsoft backup
>> tools. Veritas SQL client will backup directly to tape. No space on the
>> SAN
>> is required.
>>
>> I am looking for a pros and cons of each to help me make my decision
>> thank you
>> Chris
>
I agree with Uri. It's quite easy to let SQL server handle the backup in
any way you like and then just backup the backup file. In this way it's
only a regular file backup you need to do and you'll always have a
native SQL server backup file at hand.
An extra plus is that you save the cost of a Veritas SQL server backup
Agent. It might not the the case for you, but in many cases you have to
pay extra to get this agent - just like if you need the Exchange server
Agent.
Regards
Steen