Feature Request: [V12] - SQL Server Plug-in - detect broken log chain and auto promote to full backup

[JGranden]

Feature Request Related to Case # 05924133

In the situation where the log chain is broken (possibly due to a random log backup to disk), taking a log backup using Veeam will fail. Taking a new full or diff backup is the only way to re-establish the log chain. The plugin should detect this situation when taking a log backup and automatically take a full (or even a diff) backup to re-establish the backup chain.

This functionality already exists in competitor's products (e.g. EMC's DDBoost sql backup solution).

[PetrM]

Hi Jesse and Welcome to Veeam R&D Forums!

Many thanks for the feature request and the valuable feedback! Let's discuss it a bit if you don't mind.

Why you didn't use Copy-only mode? It allows taking a backup without LSN update, thus avoiding backup chain corruption. By the way, it works with both methods: plug-in backups and backups performed to a local disk (f.g. with SSMS).

I'm not sure that the differential backup would even work in this case, the full backup is needed when the chain is broken. However, I'd be careful with running full backups out of schedule: most probably I will schedule a full backup to run out of production hours to reduce the potential load on the infrastructure. For instance, I don't expect too much traffic during working hours.

Thanks!

[JGranden]

ideally, you wouldn't take a log backup to disk while also taking log backups with the plugin, but if someone accidently did so, the chain would break.

I haven't tested this with Veeam yet... but the log chain would also break if the DB was set to simple recovery mode and back to full. In that case as well, auto-promoting to a full backup would be desirable.

[PetrM]

Hi Jesse,

I agree, makes sense in the mentioned cases. The request is noted but no ETA so far, it's just the first version and we need to monitor the feedback for a while to define the most frequently asked features.

Thanks!

[mortalfoil]

Just wanted to voice my support for this feature request. Accidents happen and being able to automatically detect and workaround it would be a great option!

[PetrM]

Hello and Welcome to Veeam R&D Forums!

In fact, it's good to know that the very first requests for SQL plug-in are for the broken chain issue. Much appreciated and look forward to hearing more requests

Thanks!