SQL backup of a VM with NB client not installed

[sclind]

I want to test performing full backups - including backups of the SQL databases - from a VMware policy. I will be checking the box "Enable SQL Server Recovery" on the VMware tab.

In the MSSQL Admin guide it states:

Configuring the NetBackup services for VMware backups that protect SQL Server

NetBackup uses the NetBackup Client Service and the NetBackup Legacy Network
Service to access the SQL Server when it performs VMware backups and restores.

3 Open the Windows Services application.
4 Double-click the NetBackup Client Service entry.
5 Click on the Log On tab.
6 Provide the name of the logon account.

But this is a VMware backup - I dont have the NB client installed - so how can change these two services?  I must be missing something here.

Scott

[RamNagalla · Accepted solution]

Netbackup should be installed on VM, if you would like to protect the SQL database aloing with the VM snaphost ...

and also you need to install the Symantec VSS providers in the SQL server.

once you install the Netbackup client in SQL server  you can change the logon accout for below 2 services or you can let them run with default and add the local admin to the SQL db access list.

[D_Flood]

Since VMWare, through the VMTools, only knows about the OS level stuff, you have to have a client installed to talk to any application such as MSSQL.

It also used to be true that you had to have a client installed to be able to restore individual files from a VM but some of the tests that I've done with 7.7.3 seem to indicate that it might be possible to restore files from a clientless VM...but, just to be safe you probably should have a client installed.

[sclind]

I don't know how one reply got tagged as a solution.   I have untagged it.

[sclind]

I appreciate the info about installing the client; that's what we do now.

But isnt the point of a VMWare backup type with the SQL box checked is that you dont have to have the client installed?  Is there anyone out here doing that?

[Marianne]

No, it's not.

P 16 of NetBackup for VMware Administrator's Guide

 About the virtual machine backups that include database data
When NetBackup backs up a VMware virtual machine, database data in the virtual
machine is backed up with the rest of the virtual machine. NetBackup allows the
recovery of individual database files from the backup. This feature supports Microsoft
Exchange Server, SQL Server, and SharePoint Server.
Note the following:
■ To enable restore of individual database files, a NetBackup Windows client must
be installed in the virtual machine during the backup.
■ NetBackup uses Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to quiesce the
database before it creates a snapshot of the virtual machine.
■ A full backup is performed of the database data with each backup job, even if
the policy schedule is incremental.
See “Application protection options (VMware)” on page 63.

[RiaanBadenhorst]

The client is required.

https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.000107323

[Lowell_Palecek]

>But isn't the point of a VMWare backup type with the SQL box checked is that you dont have to have the client installed?

No. The point is that you do one backup rather than two, and you only back up your data once. Otherwise, you would have one backup for your VM and another for your database.

As others have said, NetBackup needs a client inside your VM that knows how to catalog the database. Others have mentioned the Symantec VSS Provider (to be rebranded Veritas soon) on the VM. This is needed because the VSS Provider that comes with VMware a) doesn't quiesce the databases to get a consistent backup, b) can't mark the snapshot as a "FULL" rather than "USER" backup to cause log truncation, and c) can't selectively truncate log files for a subset of the Exchange databases on the VM.

A quiescent database at the time of backup is essential to restore the database later.

[sclind]

Well - here is my status from the weekend tests:

When the NB client was not installed on the client (and with "Enable SQL Server recovery" checked) the Application State Capture job that got submitted (Filelist=mssql:\;image_rec=949512) would fail 47 - host is unreachable.

Once I installed the NB client on the server, set the two services (NetBackup Client Service and NetBackup Legacy Network Service) to run under an account that has SYSADMIN SQL authority the Application State Capture job ran fine and the backup of the VMDK is running now.  (I dont know what it will look like for a restore of the SQL database when that is complete).  I will report back after the backup is complete.

FYI - the Veritas VSS writer was also installed as part of this process.

[sclind]

The backup ran fine overnight.

Now I launch the Netbackup MS SQL Client so I can start a restore. We backed up the SQL databases with an AD account (the account we specified for the two services I listed above).  That account has SQL Sysadmin authority.

But when I try to login I get an error in the SQL ERRORLOG:

Login failed for user 'xxx\yyy'. Reason: Attempting to use an NT account name with SQL Server Authentication. 

The account I used for the backup is the only account I know that has SQL Sysadmin authority.  My DBA tells me we dont use SQL Server Authentication here; only AD accounts.

Any ideas on how I can get logged on?

[Michal_Mikulik1]

Hello,

leave userid/password fileds empty while logging in.

Rgds

[sclind]

This did not work for me.  However if I run the MS SQL Client by right clicking and say "Run as dfferent user"  then I am able to start the utility.

[Marianne]

@sclind, you will agree that your initial query regarding "SQL backup of a VM with NB client not installed" has been answered? 

[sclind]

It appears to me it's not possible. Do you agree?

[Marianne]

Correct.

You have seen more than enough proof in the documentation and your own tests, right?

Please close off this discussion by marking on or more posts as Solution.

Thanks!