In many organizations, new MS-SQL Servers are added frequently—often several times a month—and each addition typically triggers a support ticket to enable backups. Most customers have already automated the deployment of the NetBackup client as part of their standard server provisioning process.
Previous versions of NetBackup offered Instance Groups to help manage this process. However, with the release of NetBackup 11, we’ve introduced two powerful new features that replace and significantly enhance that functionality: Credential Rules and Intelligent Queries.
To back up MS-SQL instances, NetBackup must authenticate using valid credentials. Some organizations manage this with a single, centrally managed credential (often integrated with CyberArk), while others use different credentials based on environment (e.g., production vs. test) or location.
Credential Rules automate the credential assignment process. They allow NetBackup or MS-SQL administrators to define policies that are automatically applied to newly discovered MS-SQL instances.
Important Note: Credential Rules apply only to newly discovered systems—they do not retroactively assign credentials to previously credentialed systems.
Example Scenario
Let’s look at a simple example of how Credential Rules can streamline your workflow:
- Host.test.company.com – Test/Dev environment
- Host.prod.company.com – Production environment
If your organization uses different credentials for production and test/dev environments, you can configure Credential Rules to apply the correct credentials automatically:
Rule: Production
- Hostname ends with prod.company.com
- Apply: MS-SQL Production Credential
Rule: Test
- Hostname ends with test.company.com
- Apply: MS-SQL Test Credential
It’s that simple. Just configure your rules once, and NetBackup will handle new server additions automatically—ensuring new MS-SQL instances are protected from day one.
Credential Rules are yet another way NetBackup helps you streamline data protection and reduce manual administrative overhead. More information is available in the NetBackup 11 documentation or just view the short video demo attached to this article.
