Automated restore of SQL backups (plus logs) to different SQL server

[jround]

Scenario

We have a live SQL database server, entire VM backup at 6AM daily, then SQL Transaction Log backups every 2 hours (all carried out via Veeam SQL functionality)

Is it possible to :-

Have a seperate SQL database server (VM)
Automate a process where Veeam can restore the backed up database (from the repository backup storage) after the full backup completes each morning to this seperate SQL server then through the day update this copy with transaction log updates as and when Veeam backs those up

We have a need for reporting from the data but the queries are causing issues by being run against the live database so we are looking at options to run them off a copy instead (without £££ for SQL Enterprise at the moment!) so I just wondered if Veeam had something that could fit the bill

[HannesK]

Hello,
there are several options that come into my mind

1) use SQL restore with Start-VESQLRestoreSession https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110 - after the database is restored, you cannot add more logs here (as the database is already "live"). If you need new versions of the database including logs, then you need to restore again and again.
2) use SQL publishing with Publish-VESQLDatabase https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110 - this one can publish to latest point in time.
3) use SQL instant recovery (as you probably will not migrate to production, publishing is probably "good enough") with Restore-VESQLIRDatabase https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110

The question is which kind of problems your reporting causes. If it is performance, then running instant publish / recovery will only help if your backup storage is faster than your production storage.

Best regards,
Hannes