Veeam Backup & Replication SQL Server - need tutorial

[grzesiekb]

Hy,
this is my first post on this forum.
I have hyper-v machine with Windows Server 2008r2 and SQL Server 2008R2 Std. I configured backup of virtual machine with option ''Enable application aware-image processing''.
I know that Veeam can restore sql databases. Where I can find informations, manual how to use Veeam B&R with Microsoft Sql Server installed inside hyper-v machine.
My version Veeam B&R 6.5 Trial. I cannot find any restore options for MSSQL.

[veremin]

Best practice for backing up MS SQL server includes:

1) Enabling Application-Aware Image Processing option, which Veeam’s proprietary technology responsible for creating a transactionally consistent backup of a VM running VSS-aware applications (such as Active Directory, Microsoft SQL, Microsoft Exchange, Sharepoint, etc) without shutting them down. It also ensures successful VM recovery, as well as proper recovery of all applications installed on the VM without any data loss.

2) Enabling log truncation. This option can be selected while backing up or replicating systems, like Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft SQL, that use transaction logs, so that, the storage space isn’t overflown by them.

As to restore process, for VMware environment VB&R provides set of wizard called U-AIR that lead you through the process of recovery of application objects, including Application-specific wizards for Active Directory, Microsoft SQL and Microsoft Exchange.

Unfortunately, by now there is no similar functionality available for Hyper-V environment. So, if you’re willing to restore Microsoft SQL specific items you should think about using Instant VM recovery along with Microsoft SQL Management studio.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.

[chrisdearden]

Veeam doesn't have the functionality to restore a DB directly back into SQL without using the virtual labs . However from the Vm level backup, the database files are quiesced and stable. You can run a file level restore of the mdb/ldb files and attach as a new database.

[rbrambley]

BTW the place to get free tutorials is our Veeam Online University at:
http://www.veeam.com/university/vmware-backup.html

There is a U-AIR tutorial for AD already there. Unfortunately not SQL. The U-AIR process is the same however. There are also tutorials for building the vlab, application group, and surebackup job which are all the pieces of using U-AIR recovery.

U-AIR for Hyper-V is not available today. Only VMware - as mentioned aboved.

[jbarrow.viracoribt]

How do you guys restore your SQL backups from your Backups or Replicas? We're asked on occasion to restore a database from Server A over to Server B to do a refresh. Since Veeam pretty much treats the SQL data (MDF/LDF files) as flat files, do you just manually restore these files to a temp location and then use SQL management studio to import them?

Just curious to see how others do this.

[seapro220]

Whenever I first started out trying to understand the Veeam backup process, I changed my backup strategy to only using VBR. What I determined was that for incremental or transactional logging, the VBR job was breaking the SQL restore points - and making that process unusable. I changed my VBR job to NOT flush, but that didn't work. Since then, I'm utilizing the following process -

1. weekly full and rollup of server. that way I have a 'server' image for restores.
2. daily trans,incremental, and weekly sql backup processes. I process them locally on my sql box, but offload them them nightly.
This process provides my ability in SQL to use the Management tools for trans/incremental, and full backup restores for a week at a time.

Not to be 'long in the tooth' - but because of how the file is taken, via VBR, the only process of restore is to restore it as a 'flat' file, and use the SQL mgmt tools to import/create a new db. Kinda sucks and perhaps there's a better way - but I dont think so.

mark

[filloweb]

Hi all,

There is a Best Practice Step by Step to implementing a scheduled replica from a esxi to another esxi ( every esxi with local datastore ) for a Windows 2008 R2 x64 with MS SQL database?

Thanks a lot.
Filippo

[veremin]

Though abovementioned discussion is primarily concerned with backing up SQL VM, the proposed best practices are applicable to replication scenario, as well.

Long story short, enable Application Aware Image Processing and log truncation options.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.

[bob.baird.xedo]

Whenever I first started out trying to understand the Veeam backup process, I changed my backup strategy to only using VBR. What I determined was that for incremental or transactional logging, the VBR job was breaking the SQL restore points - and making that process unusable. I changed my VBR job to NOT flush, but that didn't work. Since then, I'm utilizing the following process -

1. weekly full and rollup of server. that way I have a 'server' image for restores.
2. daily trans,incremental, and weekly sql backup processes. I process them locally on my sql box, but offload them them nightly.
This process provides my ability in SQL to use the Management tools for trans/incremental, and full backup restores for a week at a time.

Not to be 'long in the tooth' - but because of how the file is taken, via VBR, the only process of restore is to restore it as a 'flat' file, and use the SQL mgmt tools to import/create a new db. Kinda sucks and perhaps there's a better way - but I dont think so.

mark

Hi Mark,

I'm just curious as to what software you use for your separate SQL backups?

We currently use RedGate SQL Backup and this works perfectly well - we have weekly full, daily differential and hourly transaction logs being backed up and copied to a NAS we have on our network.

We are now looking at using Veeam B&R to backup our VM's and I'm curious as to what settings we need to make in the backup jobs to ensure the database backup "chains" wont get broken by the Veeam backup.

Any advice would be appreciated.


Thanks,
Bob

[foggy]

We are now looking at using Veeam B&R to backup our VM's and I'm curious as to what settings we need to make in the backup jobs to ensure the database backup "chains" wont get broken by the Veeam backup.

Bob, you can disable transaction logs truncation in the Veeam B&R backup job settings and let only RedGate to do this.

[brad126]

Recently, we have successfully P2V'ed our Microsoft SQL 2005 server. This was a long overdue project that is now complete, but now I'm brainstorming our backup strategy. We currently use Veeam to backup and replicate our VM's, CA Arcserve to backup our CIFS shares, and the CA Arcserve agent to backup SQL.

Are most who use Veeam to backup SQL using a combination of Veeam and your general backup software (Arcserve, Backup Exec, etc.)? Reason I ask is I'd love to drop the CA agent and strictly use Veeam, but the agent is extremely useful if/when having to restore a single database.

What's the best approach that Veeam guys/girls are using to backup SQL VM's?

[foggy]

You can successfully restore single database files from backups created by Veeam B&R, no problems with that. Please review the topic above for general recommendations on backing up SQL Server with Veeam B&R.

[brad126]

You can successfully restore single database files from backups created by Veeam B&R, no problems with that. Please review the topic above for general recommendations on backing up SQL Server with Veeam B&R.

Is there any considerations to keep in mind when choosing between synthetic full and active full when it comes to SQL?

[Vitaliy S.]

Hello brad,

Synthetic fulls are usually preferable (it doesn't matter whether you backup SQL Server or any other VM) since jobs with Synthetic full configured do not create any load on your production VMs to create full backups. On the other hand, active fulls are also recommended to perform, for example you can do that once a month (depends on your internal backup policies and regulations).

Thank you!

[nakamitchi]

Hello,
What would be different between Veeam B&R v9.5 standart and enterprise versions for MS SQL backup and restore?
We have standart. Can we backup and restore MS SQL? any limitations ?

Thanks

[DGrinev]

Hi,

Yes, you can backup and restore MS SQL by using Standard version, but there are a few limitations.
Please, check what is difference between versions on the comparison page here.

Thanks!