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MollyL's avatar
MollyL
Level 2
12 years ago

Creating a native SQL Server backup file from Netbackup image

Is there a way to create a SQL Server native backup file from a previously taken Netbackup backup image?  We currently backup our SQL Server databases to disk and let Netbackup take them to tape.  We're looking to eliminate the disk drop and backup direct to Netbackup.  Often times we need to send backups of our databases to vendors who require backups in the .bak format. 

In order to be able to use Netbackup for all our SQL Server backups we need to be able to make a .bak file from a previously taken backup.  Is this possible?  I haven't been able to find anything in the documentation suggesting it is, but may just be missing something. 

Thanks in advance for the help.

7.5
Agent for Microsoft SQL Server
Backup and Recovery
NetBackup
Windows Server (2003-2008)
  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    12 years ago

    Just to confirm - NBU can only restore the same format that it backed up.

    If .bak was backed up, then .bak can be restored.

    If databases were backed up, then databases can be restored. They can be restored to different location which will give you the ability to create new native backup.

    Hope this answers your query?

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  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    Level 6
    12 years ago

    You can backup directly to NBU if you have Application and Database agent license for each SQL server.

    This will allow you to backup directly to NBU using MS-SQL-Server policy type,  and restore in one step.
    Because you are not creating .bak files anymore, you cannot restore .bak files. SQL databases will be restored in one step, the same way it is getting backed up.

    See NetBackup for Microsoft SQL Server Administrator's Guide: http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC5173  for more details.

  • MollyL's avatar
    MollyL
    Level 2
    12 years ago

    Marianne,

    Thanks for the quick response.  I'm familiar with the restore from NBU to SQL Server, and I'm comfortable in being able to restore to my servers.  What I need is the ability to send a backup I took with NBU to a software vendor who does not have access to our NBU server.  Now, that process is simple.  I can ftp the native backup I took in SQL Server.   Is there a way I can do that with NBU? 

  • Will_Restore's avatar
    Will_Restore
    Level 6
    12 years ago

    Sure!  They can import the image and restore with NetBackup for SQL Server.  Now if they do not already have NetBackup, that could be a problem. 

  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    Level 6
    12 years ago

     What I need is the ability to send a backup I took with NBU to a software vendor

    Netbackup can only give you back the format that it wrote...

    How often would you need to do that?

    It seems that you will need to take a separate SQL native backup for this purpose.

  • MollyL's avatar
    MollyL
    Level 2
    12 years ago

    Marianne,

    It looks like that answers my question.  It doesn't happen very often, but we have a number of third-party SQL databases and occasionally (approx. once a month), one of those vendors will ask for a dump of a given database.  For the times that they need a current backup, it won't be a big deal. We can do what you mention and just take a new native backup.  We have had times where they requested a specific backup from the previous week or month.  I was hoping there would be a way to extract the NBU image to a .bak file, but we can work around that.  We can always restore that file to another database and back that up.  Takes an extra step, but it's not impossible. 

    Thanks for your help!

  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    Level 6
    12 years ago

    Just to confirm - NBU can only restore the same format that it backed up.

    If .bak was backed up, then .bak can be restored.

    If databases were backed up, then databases can be restored. They can be restored to different location which will give you the ability to create new native backup.

    Hope this answers your query?

  • MollyL's avatar
    MollyL
    Level 2
    12 years ago

    Marianne - It does answer my query.  Thanks for all the clarification!