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SQL Agent Questions

Shaun_Taylor
Level 5
Certified

Hi all,

We have recently started testing the NBU SQL DB agent with some very encouraging results so far. However, I still have a couple of questions that I was hoping some of you might be able to answer as I haven't been able to find a definitive answer elsewhere:

 

  • Is it possible to redirect a SQL DB restore? Does the restore have to be to the original database, or can it be restored to an alternate database / location?

 

  • What happens to a scheduled transaction log backup if it is initiated while a full database backup is still running? I'm guessing it is best practice to set up the start windows so that this is unlikely to happen, but if a full backup takes longer than expected I'm curious to know if NetBackup will queue the transaction log job or if this could potentially cause some issues on the SQL side of things. I have tried to test this myself, but the performance has been so good while the backup environment is quiet that I've struggled to get the jobs to clash by manually initiating them!
3 ACCEPTED SOLUTIONS

Accepted Solutions

Will_Restore
Level 6

first one is easy: see the Symantec NetBackup™ for Microsoft SQL Server Administrator's Guide for details

The database move redirects the restore of a SQL Server database to a different
location. The new location can be a different instance on the same host, a different
host, or a different file path. The move operation also lets you restore the database
under a different name than the original one.

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=DOC5173

 

second one is better asked on Microsoft forum

 

View solution in original post

lu
Level 6

It's better to avoid a full+log backups situation, bad things can happen :)

https://serverfault.com/questions/13099/sql-transaction-log-backups-conflicting-with-full-backups

View solution in original post

Marianne
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

1. Perfectly supported. Steps are described in NetBackup for Microsoft SQL Server Administrator's Guide http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC5173  

2. Specify both scripts in the same policy. First script (Full backup) will complete before 2nd (Transaction log) script starts.
See https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/it-supported-run-sql-backup-script-follow-transaction... 
 

 

View solution in original post

6 REPLIES 6

Will_Restore
Level 6

first one is easy: see the Symantec NetBackup™ for Microsoft SQL Server Administrator's Guide for details

The database move redirects the restore of a SQL Server database to a different
location. The new location can be a different instance on the same host, a different
host, or a different file path. The move operation also lets you restore the database
under a different name than the original one.

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=DOC5173

 

second one is better asked on Microsoft forum

 

lu
Level 6

It's better to avoid a full+log backups situation, bad things can happen :)

https://serverfault.com/questions/13099/sql-transaction-log-backups-conflicting-with-full-backups

Marianne
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

1. Perfectly supported. Steps are described in NetBackup for Microsoft SQL Server Administrator's Guide http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC5173  

2. Specify both scripts in the same policy. First script (Full backup) will complete before 2nd (Transaction log) script starts.
See https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/it-supported-run-sql-backup-script-follow-transaction... 
 

 

Shaun_Taylor
Level 5
Certified

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

Marianne, your suggestion of having both scripts in one policy would be ideal, but would that mean I couldn't do nightly full backups and hourly transaction logs due to the schedule configuration?

Marianne
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

You can have 2 policies - One for nightly backups as per my suggestion above with night-time backup window.
One for daily log backups that only includes log backup script with day-time backup window.

Or else only database backup script in night-time window, and another log backup policy that will only have open window during day time. You should carefully monitor database backup to know more or less when database backups end, and then only open log backup window when you know that database backups are done.

Most of our customers have day-time schedules for log backups with a Frequency of 1 hour.

Shaun_Taylor
Level 5
Certified

Thanks for the help!