MS SQL Database Backups

[Brangwyn]

What (if any) backups does Vortech take of MS SQL Databases ??

I've just had a customer make a rather large blunder and zap all the content in their database somehow whilst trying to make their own backups.

[bootNumlock]

that deserves some kind of recognition award

[Brangwyn]

heh yeah I think so too!

[Funnyhat]

So any answer from the powers that be?

[admin]

Well they are backed up everyday ( or should be ) unless the backups start to fail for some reason. We did just find one system the backs were failing on.. So trying to find why they are failing and if we can ether make them work in mssql or find a outside tool that works better.. I know of a few but want the best one for our needs..

[Brangwyn]

We did just find one system the backs were failing on..

Yeah you found that one becuase it was the backup I needed and of course it wasn't being backed up

Best tool for backing them up generally I've found is MS SQL itself. There is a Veritas backup solution that works fairly well also, best dumping them off to tape imo so you can easily keep multiple generations.

[antic]

Indeed! SQL Server can be set up to make regular automatic backups of every database every day.

Then use tape to make backups of where they are stored.

If a client needs a restore done, as long as it's the previous day's data, you don't even need to refer to tape, just restore from the existing .bak file.

So trying to find why they are failing and if we can ether make them work in mssql or find a outside tool that works better

Umm... Does this mean that SQL Server is NOT being backed up regularly at the moment? It's kinda important..

[Brangwyn]

When I get a chance I'll submit a TT but I've been looking at several other of my customers databases and backups aren't recent on them either

I would suggest you check your databases antic and submit a TT also if the last backup date isn't recent to see what can be done.

[antic]

Brangwyn, what do we use for administering databases - can we connect with Enterprise Manager?

If so, do we have permissions to manually do backups / restores? Probably not I'd guess..

[Brangwyn]

EM Yes, Permissions No.

[soky]

Originally posted by antic


Umm... Does this mean that SQL Server is NOT being backed up regularly at the moment? It's kinda important..

I agree... I guess I just "assumed" a tape backup was being accomplished on a daily basis... would be very interested in the BU policy and the resolution to the original post.

We do have MSSQL set to back up everyday but it fails often for whatever reason ( Go MS, can't even backup a couple files...) Ill check on it when I get into work to see if the changes made last week fixed the problem.

[Brangwyn]

Well I can tell you the resolution to the original post, Vortech thought they had a backup (though a month old), turned out they didnt, but fortunately for customer they found a backup they had taken about 3 months prior so we just DTS'd that back up.

If SQL Agent isn't set to autostart this can stop your backups from working, also it's worthwile to do an integrity check as part of the backup plan too as a dud DB can cause backups to fail I believe.

[antic]

Please please please get this sorted out soon Vortech! This is really worrying me, I have told a major client that web and data backups are being done every day, as *I was told it was*!

[Brangwyn]

I prefer to tell all customers that backups are their responsibility and that the only backups we have available are to enable a machine rebuild to occur. That way you've not set too high of an expectation. At the end of the day its going to cost you $60 a hit as well if you need Vortech to recover anything.