SQL backup scheduling question

[smckelvey]

The schedule I use currently is depicted in the attached image. The difference b/t each of the schedules is the Frequency/retention time. It's been and still is working just fine.

But question is whether it's necessary to have all of the different "Automatic" schedules for each of the "Application" back ups, or could we somehow have one "Automatic" schedule that was 24x7? I ask b/c the attributes for the "Application" backups don't appear to allow me to specifiy a frequency, so I don't see how I could get the results I'm after w/o having a separate corresponding "Automatic" schedule for each "Application" backup that requires a unique frequency; short of creating a separate Policy for each.

[Yasuhisa_Ishika]

because backup data is processed by application backup schedule, though backup operation is initiated by automatic backup schedules. Each application backup schedule are configured so as to store data with appropriate retention.

[Douglas_Snyder · Accepted solution]

You have done a great job of scheduling.  The alternative would be to create separate policies (as you figured out) which is cumbersome.  The descriptions of the backup types are below.

SQL Server backup types
Backup type Description

Application Backup  
The Application Backup schedule enables user-controlled NetBackup operations from
the client. These operations include those initiated from the client and those initiated
by an automatic schedule on the master server. NetBackup uses the Application Backup
schedule when the user starts a backup manually. Configure at least one Application
Backup schedule for each database policy. The Default-Application-Backup schedule is
configured automatically as an Application Backup schedule.

Automatic Backup
An Automatic Backup schedule specifies the dates and times for NetBackup to
automatically start backups. NetBackup runs the scripts in the order that they appear in
the file list. If there is more than one client in the policy, the scripts are run on each
client.

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=DOC2203&key=15143&actp=LIST

MS-SQL Administrator Guide, page 36

[Marianne]

We prefer different policies for different retentions.

Have a look at this discussion:

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/easy-one-mssql-retention-schedule

This TechNote says it can be done in one policy:
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH90544

Extract:
Create different Application Backup schedules with different backup windows.
Please note that it is very important the two "Backup Policy" schedules do not overlap. If they do overlap, unpredictable results can occur, and backups could fail to take place or could expire prematurely.

This is why we have gone for the different policy per retention period.

[smckelvey]

Thanks everyone for the input.