Stopping SQL Backup

[peter_elliott]

Hi,

We are using the SQL Agent to backup up our SQL2005 server. I schedule the SQLservice to stop during backup however, I have noticed that BackupExec fails to backup the SQL logs partions when the SQl service is turned off but seems to backup ok when it is on? Should the SQL service be turned off during backup when using SQLagent?

thanks

peter

[mnml]

I do not turn off the SQL services during SQL backups using the BUE SQL Agent.  Works fine for me.

[peter_elliott]

Hi,

Thnkas for the reply. Do you know what best practice is? is it advised to turn the service off or leave on?

Regards

peter

[mnml]

I believe the BUE SQL Agent allows you to back up the DB while it's online.  Not sure what the best practice is but I've nevered had a problem backing up live SQL DBs.

[Ken_Putnam]

If you have paid for the SQL agent, use it

Most companies can't afford to shut down SQL or Exchange or Oracle or Notes just to do backups, so the agents make use of the Backup APIs in those DatabaseManagers

[peter_elliott]

Thanks for the replies. Could anyone tell me why I get the message "Unable to attach to Resource" on the Logs partition when I stop the SQL service running during backup though? Seems strange that turning the SQL service off would stop backupExec connecting to the log partition?

Thanks in advance.

[Ken_Putnam]

are you trying to do flat file backups with SQL shut down, or SQL backups?

[peter_elliott]

We are using SQLAgent but the previous IT guy scheduled the SQL service to stop as well for some reason? Just wondered why it had this odd affect backing up the log files?

Thanks

[Ken_Putnam]

Sounds like the combination of a SQL Agent backup and the SQL Server being down.  The Agent tries to hook into the Backup APIs of the SQL Server Code.  If the SQL Server service is stopped, it cannot find the database(s) in it's selection  list