Application aware processing for flat file databases

[mandeep.s]

Hi Everyone,

Going by the veeam KBs and FAQs, Application aware processing is essential for any servers running Active Directory, MS Exchange, SQL, Oracle DBs.

I just need to enquire if this setting needs to be on for any servers running applications that have flat file databases. One of the examples of this application is MYOB.

Thanks

[mvalpreda]

I can only imagine if you turned it on, it would not do anything since MYOB is probably not VSS aware.

[mandeep.s]

Thanks Mark, this is what I thought as well.
Had a scenario in which Application aware processing for a server running MYOB was set to require success and then backup started failing due to that. So, sticking to the thought that MYOB does not use VSS, I set application aware processing to ignore failures.

Come yesterday, one of the techs retreived MYOB DB files from the backups created with AWA set to ignore failures. Strangely enough, he told me that those retrieved files are useless because they are not transactionally correct.

[jmmarton]

As a general rule it's a good idea to enable AAIP for all Windows VMs, not just ones running services where we have specific integrations (e.g. EX and SQL). However if this application isn't VSS aware, something you can confirm by looking at one VSS writers are installed, then you'll have to use your own scripts to handle getting the database into a consistent state using pre-freeze/post-thaw scripts. Also, rather than simply setting AAIP to ignore errors, I would look at what errors you received when it was set to required. By setting it to ignore errors your basically saying if you can't do AAIP, take a crash-consistent backup and proceed instead of skipping the VM. That could very well explain what you were told the database files aren't transactionally consistent.

Joe

[Mike Resseler]

Hi Mandeep,

MYOB as in the accounting software? I have not much experience with this solution but I believe it does require some handling before you can take a backup. Can you contact MYOB software and ask them for the pre-freeze / post-thaw scripts that are needed to create a successful backup and explained above by Joe? (And if you receive them, post them here, I am sure you will help others with it also )

Thanks
Mike

[veremin]

Most likely, the said solution has its own native backup means. So, you might want to run those on predefined basis. In case of disaster, you will first restore a VM to specific restore point and, then, restore db, using MYOB native tools.

Should need be, db backup can be set a pre-job activity.

Thanks.

[mvalpreda]

If MYOB doesn't have a built-in backup procedure that you can schedule, I would look at a script to shut down the service pre-Veeam backup and then start the service after the backup. Had to do that for some small databases in the past. Not pretty, so make sure you document!

[veremin]

Chances are, this link might be helpful. Thanks.

[mandeep.s]

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

No luck getting pre/post scripts from MYOB support. Native backups+veeam to backup the server(making sure that Guest processing works) seems to be the way to go.

[Mike Resseler]

Mandeep,

I have been looking for some more information. There is a way (seems only through UI) that you can backup your company file as a zip file. So it might be interesting for that company to take a VM backup (with Guest processing) but let them have also that company file taken on a regular basis.

I also read that they are using mdb files so VSS should take care of that.

But let them certainly do a POC and use surebackup to test if the application runs after a backup
Cheers
Mike