backup method question

hi
We are evaluating our backup plans. We currently do a live backup with a
backup exec SQL agent. Thinking about doing it to disk instead without
using veritas, just dumping the database to a file and then backing up
the file. My veritas rep is telling me it will be hard to do a restore
that way.
Is that true? Any other suggestions on backing up?
Thanks
Will
What your Veritas rep is saying is "If you backup to disk, then you won't
need to pay me for an overpriced and underfeatured SQL agent for each
server". Backup to disk and archive to tape is the preferred method for SQL
backups. Make sure you don't backup to the same disk as your data or log
files. I prefer to backup across a dedicated network link to a file server.
That file server is also my tape host so it can backup the files locally.
Geoff N. Hiten
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Senior Database Administrator
Careerbuilder.com
I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
www.sqlpass.org
"Will Kubly" <wkubly@.wi.rr.com> wrote in message
news:u0KoQkAIFHA.1392@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> hi
> We are evaluating our backup plans. We currently do a live backup with a
> backup exec SQL agent. Thinking about doing it to disk instead without
> using veritas, just dumping the database to a file and then backing up
> the file. My veritas rep is telling me it will be hard to do a restore
> that way.
> Is that true? Any other suggestions on backing up?
> Thanks
> Will
|||Geoff N. Hiten wrote:
> What your Veritas rep is saying is "If you backup to disk, then you won't
> need to pay me for an overpriced and underfeatured SQL agent for each
> server". Backup to disk and archive to tape is the preferred method for SQL
> backups. Make sure you don't backup to the same disk as your data or log
> files. I prefer to backup across a dedicated network link to a file server.
> That file server is also my tape host so it can backup the files locally.
>
That is kinda what I thought. I am not an SQL guru by any means. I do
more of the plumging. Are there any special considerations to restoring
that file into SQL?
Thanks
Will
|||Hi
I was using backup exec to do the backup of the sql server 2000 database.
It is easy and has good GUI to restore.
But apart from that I did not find any compelling reasons to use it.
I am doing a backup on the USB attached Network drive and it takes about the
same time as taking it on tape.
Mangesh
"Geoff N. Hiten" wrote:

> What your Veritas rep is saying is "If you backup to disk, then you won't
> need to pay me for an overpriced and underfeatured SQL agent for each
> server". Backup to disk and archive to tape is the preferred method for SQL
> backups. Make sure you don't backup to the same disk as your data or log
> files. I prefer to backup across a dedicated network link to a file server.
> That file server is also my tape host so it can backup the files locally.
> --
> Geoff N. Hiten
> Microsoft SQL Server MVP
> Senior Database Administrator
> Careerbuilder.com
> I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
> www.sqlpass.org
> "Will Kubly" <wkubly@.wi.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:u0KoQkAIFHA.1392@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>
>
|||SQL backup files are self-contained and self-describing. That is, they
contain all the information required to recreate the database on the
original or any other SQL server. I strongly suggest you read the section
in BOL (Books On-Line) on Backing Up and Restoring Databases in the
Administering SQL Server section. There are some decisions you must make
when you set up a database or there will be painful consequences down the
road. Read and understand this section now, rather than when your system is
down.
Geoff N. Hiten
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Senior Database Administrator
Careerbuilder.com
I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
www.sqlpass.org
"Will Kubly" <wkubly@.wi.rr.com> wrote in message
news:ep68s0AIFHA.560@.TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...[vbcol=seagreen]
> Geoff N. Hiten wrote:
won't[vbcol=seagreen]
SQL[vbcol=seagreen]
log[vbcol=seagreen]
server.[vbcol=seagreen]
locally.
> That is kinda what I thought. I am not an SQL guru by any means. I do
> more of the plumging. Are there any special considerations to restoring
> that file into SQL?
> Thanks
> Will

backup method question

hi
We are evaluating our backup plans. We currently do a live backup with a
backup exec SQL agent. Thinking about doing it to disk instead without
using veritas, just dumping the database to a file and then backing up
the file. My veritas rep is telling me it will be hard to do a restore
that way.
Is that true? Any other suggestions on backing up?
Thanks
WillWhat your Veritas rep is saying is "If you backup to disk, then you won't
need to pay me for an overpriced and underfeatured SQL agent for each
server". Backup to disk and archive to tape is the preferred method for SQL
backups. Make sure you don't backup to the same disk as your data or log
files. I prefer to backup across a dedicated network link to a file server.
That file server is also my tape host so it can backup the files locally.
Geoff N. Hiten
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Senior Database Administrator
Careerbuilder.com
I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
www.sqlpass.org
"Will Kubly" <wkubly@.wi.rr.com> wrote in message
news:u0KoQkAIFHA.1392@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> hi
> We are evaluating our backup plans. We currently do a live backup with a
> backup exec SQL agent. Thinking about doing it to disk instead without
> using veritas, just dumping the database to a file and then backing up
> the file. My veritas rep is telling me it will be hard to do a restore
> that way.
> Is that true? Any other suggestions on backing up?
> Thanks
> Will|||Geoff N. Hiten wrote:
> What your Veritas rep is saying is "If you backup to disk, then you won't
> need to pay me for an overpriced and underfeatured SQL agent for each
> server". Backup to disk and archive to tape is the preferred method for S
QL
> backups. Make sure you don't backup to the same disk as your data or log
> files. I prefer to backup across a dedicated network link to a file serve
r.
> That file server is also my tape host so it can backup the files locally.
>
That is kinda what I thought. I am not an SQL guru by any means. I do
more of the plumging. Are there any special considerations to restoring
that file into SQL?
Thanks
Will|||Hi
I was using backup exec to do the backup of the sql server 2000 database.
It is easy and has good GUI to restore.
But apart from that I did not find any compelling reasons to use it.
I am doing a backup on the USB attached Network drive and it takes about the
same time as taking it on tape.
Mangesh
"Geoff N. Hiten" wrote:

> What your Veritas rep is saying is "If you backup to disk, then you won't
> need to pay me for an overpriced and underfeatured SQL agent for each
> server". Backup to disk and archive to tape is the preferred method for S
QL
> backups. Make sure you don't backup to the same disk as your data or log
> files. I prefer to backup across a dedicated network link to a file serve
r.
> That file server is also my tape host so it can backup the files locally.
> --
> Geoff N. Hiten
> Microsoft SQL Server MVP
> Senior Database Administrator
> Careerbuilder.com
> I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
> www.sqlpass.org
> "Will Kubly" <wkubly@.wi.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:u0KoQkAIFHA.1392@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>
>|||SQL backup files are self-contained and self-describing. That is, they
contain all the information required to recreate the database on the
original or any other SQL server. I strongly suggest you read the section
in BOL (Books On-Line) on Backing Up and Restoring Databases in the
Administering SQL Server section. There are some decisions you must make
when you set up a database or there will be painful consequences down the
road. Read and understand this section now, rather than when your system is
down.
Geoff N. Hiten
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Senior Database Administrator
Careerbuilder.com
I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
www.sqlpass.org
"Will Kubly" <wkubly@.wi.rr.com> wrote in message
news:ep68s0AIFHA.560@.TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Geoff N. Hiten wrote:
won't[vbcol=seagreen]
SQL[vbcol=seagreen]
log[vbcol=seagreen]
server.[vbcol=seagreen]
locally.[vbcol=seagreen]
> That is kinda what I thought. I am not an SQL guru by any means. I do
> more of the plumging. Are there any special considerations to restoring
> that file into SQL?
> Thanks
> Will

Backup Maintenance Job Abort

Until several days ago I had the SQL Server maintenance
job run daily without a problem. I am able to create a
backup from the MARK database manaully from SQL Server GUI
on the same drive as the maintenance job without a problem.
Please help me resolve the problem.
Thanks,
Dan
Aborted in the SQL Server Backup Maintenance on the VERIFY
DATABASE step:
[Microsoft SQL-DMO (ODBC SQLState: 42000)] Error 3201:
[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]Cannot open
backup
device 'K:\dumpfiles\MARK\MARK_db_200406170903.BAK'.
Device error or device off-line. See the SQL Server error
log for more details.
[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]VERIFY
DATABASE is terminating abnormally.
SQL Server Errorlog Backup Failed:
BackupDiskFile::OpenMedia: Backup
device 'K:\dumpfiles\MARK\MARK_db_200406170903.BAK' failed
to open. Operating system error = 2(The system cannot find
the file specified.).
I executed statement listed below in the Query Analyzer
created the backup file without a problem.
BACKUP DATABASE [MARK] TO DISK
= 'K:\dumpfiles\MARK\MARK_db_200406170803.BAK' WITH
NOINIT , NOUNLOAD , NAME = N'STARUAT backup', NOSKIP ,
STATS = 10, NOFORMAT
The error seems during a verify stage. Can you run a RESTORE VERIFYONLY on
the backup created, from Query analyser?
thanks.
Vikram Jayaram
Microsoft, SQL Server
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Subscribe to MSDN & use http://msdn.microsoft.com/newsgroups.

Backup Maintenance Job Abort

Until several days ago I had the SQL Server maintenance
job run daily without a problem. I am able to create a
backup from the MARK database manaully from SQL Server GUI
on the same drive as the maintenance job without a problem.
Please help me resolve the problem.
Thanks,
Dan
Aborted in the SQL Server Backup Maintenance on the VERIFY
DATABASE step:
[Microsoft SQL-DMO (ODBC SQLState: 42000)] Error 3201:
[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]Cannot open
backup
device 'K:\dumpfiles\MARK\MARK_db_200406170903.BAK'.
Device error or device off-line. See the SQL Server error
log for more details.
[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]VERIFY
DATABASE is terminating abnormally.
SQL Server Errorlog Backup Failed:
BackupDiskFile::OpenMedia: Backup
device 'K:\dumpfiles\MARK\MARK_db_200406170903.BAK' failed
to open. Operating system error = 2(The system cannot find
the file specified.).
I executed statement listed below in the Query Analyzer
created the backup file without a problem.
BACKUP DATABASE [MARK] TO DISK
= 'K:\dumpfiles\MARK\MARK_db_200406170803.BAK' WITH
NOINIT , NOUNLOAD , NAME = N'STARUAT backup', NOSKIP ,
STATS = 10, NOFORMATThe error seems during a verify stage. Can you run a RESTORE VERIFYONLY on
the backup created, from Query analyser?
thanks.
Vikram Jayaram
Microsoft, SQL Server
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Subscribe to MSDN & use http://msdn.microsoft.com/newsgroups.

Backup History Purge

I work in a small shop and I noticed this weekend that when SQL performs a
backup it must keep this information somewhere as I found that I have over 3
years of backup history when I restore a database. Can someone explain to
me how to purge this history information?
Thanks,
MattCheck out sp_delete_backuphistory in BooksOnLine. Just be fore warned that
this sp can take a LONG time when there are lots of reow in the table.
Andrew J. Kelly SQL MVP
"Matt Frame" <mdframe@.DONT-SEND-ME-EMAIL.sorvive.com.NO-SPAM> wrote in
message news:u$1qvQBEEHA.3748@.TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> I work in a small shop and I noticed this weekend that when SQL performs a
> backup it must keep this information somewhere as I found that I have over
3
> years of backup history when I restore a database. Can someone explain to
> me how to purge this history information?
> Thanks,
> Matt
>|||-- deletes all backup history for all databases before the date specified
EXEC sp_delete_backuphistory '2002-09-01'
-- deletes all backup history for the db specified
EXEC sp_delete_database_backuphistory 'db_one'
very useful commands. if you do restores from enterprise manager, getting r
id
of the old backuphistory can speed up the time it takes for the initial rest
ore
screen to load.
Matt Frame wrote:

> I work in a small shop and I noticed this weekend that when SQL performs a
> backup it must keep this information somewhere as I found that I have over
3
> years of backup history when I restore a database. Can someone explain to
> me how to purge this history information?
> Thanks,
> Matt