Exclude SQL Server Databases

[bob.baird.xedo]

Hi All,

We have a SQL Server VM that uses RedGate SQL Backup Pro to backup the databases (they get saved to a NAS we have on our LAN).

I also backup the VM using Veeam B&R.

My question is whether there is any way I can prevent B&R from actually saving the database files (.mdf & .ldf) as I already have a copy of these on our NAS.

We are moving away from Symantec Backup Exec, but that was a feature that was available with this product i.e. you could specify specific databases that you didn't want saved to tape.

I can't see any way with Veeam to do this, other than by excluding an entire disk.

Can anyone help at all?


Thanks,
Bob

[Vitaliy S.]

Hello Bob,

Veeam B&R in an image based backup solution, and you cannot exclude specific files (except for swap file) from the backup. As a workaround you may want to place your databases files on the separate disk and then exclude it from the backup job.

Thank you!

[bob.baird.xedo]

Okay, thanks for clearing that up.

As it happens, we do tend to have our .mdf & .ldf stored on separate disks, so that may work okay.

Just as a mater of interest, how would the restore of the VM handle the fact that it had been backed up without a number of disks that are actually on the live VM?

[veremin]

Hi, Bob.

There is an option in exclusion settings called “Remove excluded disk from VM configuration”. As long as it’s ticked, there wouldn’t be any issues during restore.

Thanks.

[bob.baird.xedo]

Okay, thanks for your help.

[veremin]

You’re welcome. Should any additional help be needed, feel free to contact us. Thanks.

[mdc]

Is there still no option to exclude file types, eg MDF or LDF in the latest versions of Veeam backup and replication??

[foggy]

Yes, nothing has changed in this sense.

[pllove]

Can we use the DB Exclusion option outlined in KB1051 to exclude db's? Our dba's have db's in standby mode that are generating errors when veeam try's to back them up. We would like to be able to exclude them without excluding the drive.

[foggy]

The registry setting mentioned in this article does not entirely exclude databases from backup, but excludes them from the actual VSS freeze process (they are still backed up, though without VSS).

[thomas23]

Hi,
with veeam8 we will go to backup our databases with veeam and we will use the transactionlog-backup feature.
So far so good. Is there a way to select which database are included in this backup? There are some test-databases which is not necessary to backup.

Thank you
thomas

[Vitaliy S.]

This is not possible, however you may want to use a workaround that is mentioned above to skip these databases from the backup.

[edgonz]

I think I found the answer to my question - how to exclude some sql databases from Veeam backup - from this link (http://forums.veeam.com/veeam-backup-re ... 17452.html ), but since this is a link from 2013 I wanted to know if this still holds true in Veeam's current release.

Thanks!

[foggy]

Ed, the last response in this thread is dated this year, so yes, this is still the case with the current release.

[edgonz]

Ed, the last response in this thread is dated this year, so yes, this is still the case with the current release.

Hah! You're right, I din't notice the date of the OP, thanks!