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Backup exec IDR configuration for SQL Server - System DB and Instance

Megistal
Level 2

Hi

 

The version of backup exec were using is 10d on a SQL 2k5 - Win 2k3 box

 

What I would like to know about the configuration IDR process are:

 

Is it possible to test backuped system database on an other different SQL instance than the one the backup was taken? Because currently, it does the restore-checkup-delete process on the production server while it should be a different server!

 

Second, it only do it for the master and model database and missing the msdb which is far most important than model.

 

I've read manuals but (unless I've look up at the wrongs docs) never found any info on those two points. And fixing those points are critical to my point of view.

 

Any help configuring those two points would be very appreciated!

Thank you

5 REPLIES 5

Kevin_Cotreau
Level 6
Hi, I sent you a private message.

Megistal
Level 2

Hi Kevin

 

Thank you for answering. The provided information would probably help us solving the issues but under those circumstances I cannot test.

 

I need to find something else at the moment.

 

Won't the exec backup 10d allows such (seems trivial) configurations options?

Kevin_Cotreau
Level 6

Your questions really might not be Backup Exec questions, but SQL questions, but I will get mention more about that below. IDR full recovery is only designed for restoration to the SAME hardware. Imaging products like Acronis and Symantec System Recovery allow you to to do a bare-metal recovery to dissimilar hardware.

 

I don't remember 10d well enough, but in 12.5, there is a restore property called "Microsoft SQL Redirection", whcih allows you to recover to a different server or instance. If that does not work for you, since I think it is trying to automate what I will write below, you will probably have to get some SQL help rather than BE help.

 

Since you want to test just SQL, I would ask a question similar to this in some SQL forum: "What do I have to do to make a database run in a different instance on a new server with a new server name?". Obviously, just restoring the files is not the issue, it is making them run after, and that is all a matter of SQL unless I am missing something in your post.

 

Sorry, I don't have a better answer.

Megistal
Level 2
Hi Kevin

The "Microsoft SQL Redirection" option might be something that need to take a look at.
But I'm not sure if I did explain it clearly (english's not my primary tongue), I'm not talking about the machine by itself but rather at the database level only (Machine (OS) -> SQL Instance -> Database)

Currently we do have a production server win2k3 hosting a SS2k5 instance.

Backup exec 10d is taking a backup of every databases (user databases and system databases) from the SLQ instance when the backup job run.

Once these backups are taken, backup exec restore the "model" database on the production SQL instance under the name "model4IDR" and run the "checkdb" command on "model4IDR" to verify basic integrity of the backup taken a few moment ago. Once that check done, if successful, it then delete the database "model4IDR" and go on with other tasks. Same thing applies to the "master" database.

Restoring a database like backup exec's doing from a SQL command (this is traceable from SQL logs) is not bound to a particular hardware like old ghosting software. It is possible to backup a database and restore it onto a different instance of SQL.


My two questions are:

Instead of restoring the "model4IDR" to perform the "checkdb" command on it on the production server; can backup exec 10d be configured to restore the "model4IDR" onto another SQL instance which is not production? Is this option available? This to avoid using the production server ressources while performing those operations (restoring, checking and deleting) and avoiding file fragmentation!.

The other question is: can backup exec 10d can be configured to include the "msdb" database along "master" and "model"?

Kevin_Cotreau
Level 6

I realize that SQL is not bound to particular hardware, but since the question involves IDR, I thought that was relevant information for ANY who may read this later. I post not just with the original poster in mind.

 

I think my last post answered your first question. I think you will need to just try redirection to see if it works, and I do not see why it would not. If 10d does not have that option, then I think it becomes a problem internal to SQL.

 

Again, I do not have 10d any more, but 12.5 does indeed have the option to backup the msdb and all the system databases when using the SQL agent. I would am surprised that you do not have that option, but it is an old version.

 

Lastly, it might be time to upgrade to 12.5. You will get better support, and it would seem that it also would answer your questions in the affirmative.