NetBackup™ for Microsoft SQL Server Administrator's Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): NetBackup & Alta Data Protection (10.5)
  1. About NetBackup for SQL Server
    1.  
      Overview of NetBackup for SQL Server
    2.  
      Detailed features for NetBackup for SQL Server
  2. Installation
    1.  
      Planning the installation of NetBackup for SQL Server
    2.  
      NetBackup server and client requirements
    3.  
      Requirements for using NetBackup for SQL Server in a NetBackup cluster
    4.  
      License for NetBackup for SQL Server
  3. Host configuration and job settings
    1.  
      Configuring SQL Server hosts and user permissions
    2. Installing the Veritas VSS provider for vSphere
      1.  
        Disabling the SQL Server VSS Writer service
    3.  
      Configure the NetBackup services for SQL Server backups and restores
    4.  
      Configure local security privileges for SQL Server
    5.  
      Reviewing the auto-discovered mappings
    6.  
      Configuring mappings for restores of a distributed applications, clusters, or virtual machines
    7.  
      Configure the ODBC connection
    8.  
      Configure NetBackup for the SQL Server non-readable secondary instances that are hidden
    9.  
      Configure the primary server host name for the SQL Server agent
    10.  
      Configure the number of jobs allowed for backup operations
    11.  
      Configure the Maximum jobs per client setting
  4. Configuring RBAC for SQL Server administrators
    1.  
      RBAC roles for the SQL Server administrator
    2.  
      Create a custom role for a non-SQL Server administrator
    3.  
      RBAC permissions that are needed to view and manage SQL Server and VMware jobs
  5. Managing SQL Server assets and their credentials
    1.  
      About the Workloads > Microsoft SQL Server utility
    2. About discovery of SQL Server objects
      1.  
        Discover advanced or basic availability groups on demand
      2.  
        Discover databases on demand
      3.  
        Discover read-scale availability groups
    3. About registering SQL Server instances and availability replicas
      1.  
        About options to register SQL Server credentials
      2.  
        Register a SQL Server instance or replica with an existing credential
      3.  
        Register a SQL Server instance or replica with a new credential
      4.  
        Add a credential for SQL Server
      5.  
        View the credential name that is applied to an asset
      6.  
        Edit or delete a named credential
    4.  
      Browse SQL Server assets
    5.  
      View the protection status of databases, instances, or availability groups
    6.  
      Use Backup now to back up a SQL Server asset
    7.  
      Remove SQL Server instances
    8.  
      Remove SQL Server databases
    9.  
      Manually add a SQL Server instance
    10.  
      Deactivate or activate an instance
  6. Configuring backups with SQL Server Intelligent Policy
    1.  
      About SQL Server Intelligent Policies
    2.  
      Create a SQL Server Intelligent Policy
    3.  
      About policy attributes
    4.  
      Schedule properties for SQL Server Intelligent Policies
    5.  
      Schedule backup types for SQL Server Intelligent Policies
    6.  
      Add instances to a policy
    7.  
      Add databases to a policy
    8.  
      Add filegroups or files to the backup selections list
    9.  
      Add instance groups to a backup policy
    10. Performance tuning and configuration options
      1.  
        Configure multistriped backups of SQL Server
      2.  
        Converting differential backups to full backups
      3.  
        Converting log backups to full backups
    11.  
      Back up read-only filegroups
    12.  
      Back up read-write filegroups
    13.  
      Perform a manual backup
  7. Protecting SQL Server availability groups
    1.  
      About protecting SQL Server availability groups
    2. Protecting SQL Server availability groups with intelligent policies
      1.  
        Prerequisites for protecting SQL Server availability groups
      2. Configuring a backup policy to protect a SQL Server availability group
        1.  
          Add an availability group to a policy
        2.  
          Add availability databases to a policy
        3.  
          Add filegroups or files in an availability database to the backup selections list
    3. Protecting SQL Server availibility groups with batch file-based policies
      1. About protecting the preferred replica in a SQL Server availability group (batch file-based policies)
        1.  
          Prerequisites for protecting SQL Server availability groups
        2.  
          Configure an automatic backup policy for the preferred or the primary replica of a SQL Server availability group
        3.  
          Create batch files for the policy that protects the preferred or the primary replica
        4.  
          Add the batch files to the policy that protects the preferred or the primary replica
      2. About protecting a specific node in a SQL Server availability group (batch file-based policies)
        1.  
          Configure an automatic backup policy for a specific replica of a SQL Server availability group
        2.  
          Create a batch file for the policy that protects a specific availability replica in an availability group
        3.  
          Add the batch files to the policy that protects a specific replica in the availability group
    4.  
      Protect a SQL Server availability group that crosses NetBackup domains
  8. Protecting SQL Server with VMware backups
    1. About protecting an application database with VMware backups
      1.  
        Limitations of VMware application backups
    2.  
      About configuring NetBackup for VMware backups that protect SQL Server
    3.  
      Configuring a VMware backup policy to protect SQL Server
    4.  
      Configuring a VMware policy to protect SQL Server using Replication Director to manage snapshot replication
    5. Create a protection plan to protect SQL Server data with a VMware backup
      1.  
        Backup options and Advanced options
      2.  
        Exclude disks from backups
      3.  
        Snapshot retry options
    6.  
      Protect SQL Server data with a VMware backup
  9. Configuring backup policies with Snapshot Client
    1.  
      About NetBackup Snapshot Client for SQL Server
    2.  
      How SQL Server operations use Snapshot Client
    3.  
      Snapshot methods
    4.  
      Configuration requirements for SQL Server snapshot and Instant Recovery backups
    5.  
      Configure a snapshot policy for SQL Server
    6.  
      Configure a policy for Instant Recovery backups of SQL Server
    7. Using copy-only snapshot backups to affect how differentials are based
      1.  
        Create a copy-only backup
      2.  
        Creating an Instant Recovery backup that is not copy-only (batch file-based policies)
    8. About SQL Server agent grouped snapshots
      1.  
        Restoring a database backed up in a group
  10. Protecting SQL Server in a cluster environment
    1.  
      Configuring backups of clustered SQL Server instances (SQL Server Intelligent Policy)
    2.  
      Configuring backups of clustered SQL Server instances (batch file-based policies)
  11. Managing protection plans for SQL Server
    1. Create a protection plan to protect SQL Server assets
      1.  
        Schedules
    2.  
      Add SQL Server assets to a protection plan
    3.  
      Customize protection settings for a NetBackup for SQL Server asset
    4.  
      Remove protection from SQL Server assets
  12. Restoring SQL Server with the NetBackup web UI
    1.  
      Requirements for restores of SQL Server
    2.  
      Perform a complete database recovery
    3.  
      Recover a single recovery point
    4.  
      Options for SQL Server restores
    5.  
      Restore a database (non-administrator users)
    6.  
      Select a different backup copy for recovery
    7.  
      Configuring permissions for redirected restores
    8.  
      Restore SQL Server databases from a VMware backup
    9.  
      Restore a SQL Server availability database to a secondary replica
    10.  
      Restore a SQL Server availability database to the primary and the secondary replicas
    11.  
      Restoring an availability database when an availability group crosses NetBackup domains
  13. Using instant access with SQL Server
    1. Prerequisites when you configure an instant access SQL Server database
      1.  
        Hardware and configuration requirements of instant access
    2.  
      Things to consider before you configure an instant access database
    3.  
      Configure Samba users for SQL Server instant access
    4.  
      Configure an instant access database
    5.  
      View the livemount details of an instant access database
    6.  
      Delete an instant access database
    7.  
      Options for NetBackup for SQL Server instant access
    8.  
      NetBackup for SQL Server terms
    9.  
      Frequently asked questions
  14. Configuring batch-file based policies for SQL Server backups
    1.  
      About batch file-based policies for SQL Server backups
    2.  
      Overview of configuring SQL Server backups with batch file-based policies
    3.  
      Configure the NetBackup services for SQL Server backups and restores (batch file-based policies)
    4.  
      About SQL Server security with batch file-based policies
    5. Requirements to use batch files with NetBackup for SQL Server
      1.  
        Keywords and values used in batch files
      2.  
        Create a batch file
      3.  
        Run batch files
    6.  
      Add a batch file-based policy
    7. Schedule properties for SQL Server batch file-based policies
      1.  
        Schedule backup types for batch file-based policies
      2.  
        Configure an application backup schedule
      3.  
        Example application backup schedule
      4.  
        Configure automatic backup schedules
      5.  
        Example automatic backup schedule
    8.  
      Add clients to a policy
    9.  
      Add batch files to the backup selections list
    10.  
      Options for SQL Server backup operations
    11.  
      Create a script to backup a remote SQL Server installation
    12.  
      About automatic retry of unsuccessful SQL Server backups
    13. Configure a batch file-based policy for a user-directed backup of read-only filegroups
      1.  
        View SQL Server read-only backup sets (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    14.  
      Configure a batch file-based policy for a user-directed backup of read-write filegroups
  15. Performing backups and restores with the NetBackup MS SQL Client
    1.  
      About the NetBackup MS SQL Client
    2.  
      Start the NetBackup MS SQL Client for the first time
    3.  
      Select the SQL Server host and instance (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    4.  
      About viewing the properties of the objects selected for backup
    5.  
      Perform a user-directed backup of SQL Server databases (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    6.  
      Perform a user-directed backup of SQL Server transaction logs (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    7.  
      Perform a user-directed backup of SQL Server database filegroups (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    8.  
      Perform a user-directed backup of SQL Server database files (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    9.  
      Perform a partial database backup (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    10.  
      Options for NetBackup for SQL Server restores
    11.  
      Browsing for SQL Server backup images (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    12.  
      Restore a SQL Server database backup (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    13.  
      Stage a full SQL Server database recovery (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    14.  
      Restore SQL Server filegroup backups (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    15.  
      Recover a SQL Server database from read-write filegroup backups (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    16.  
      Restore SQL Server read-only filegroups (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    17.  
      Restore SQL Server database files (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    18.  
      Restore a SQL Server transaction log image without staging a full recovery (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    19.  
      Perform a SQL Server database move (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    20.  
      About performing a SQL Server page-level restore (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    21. Redirect a SQL Server database to a different host (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
      1.  
        About selecting a primary server
    22.  
      Perform a restore of a remote SQL Server installation (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    23. Restoring multistreamed SQL Server backups
      1.  
        About conventional backups using multiple streams
      2.  
        About snapshot backup methods using multiple streams
      3.  
        Restoring a multistreamed SQL Server backup with fewer devices than it was backed up with
    24.  
      About using bplist to retrieve SQL Server backups
    25.  
      About NetBackup for SQL Server backup names
  16. Using NetBackup for SQL Server with multiple NICs
    1.  
      Configuration and requirements for SQL Server backups with multiple NICs
    2.  
      Configure the NetBackup client with the private interface name
    3.  
      Configure backups of SQL Server when you have multiple NICs (SQL Server Intelligent Policies)
    4.  
      Configure backups for SQL Server when you have multiple NICs (batch file-based policies)
    5.  
      Restore SQL Server when you have multiple NICs (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
    6.  
      Configure backups of a SQL Server cluster when you have multiple NICs (SQL Server Intelligent Policies)
    7.  
      Configure backups of a SQL Server cluster when you have multiple NICs (batch file-based policies)
    8.  
      Create a batch file for backups of a SQL Server cluster when you have multiple NICs (batch file-based policies)
    9.  
      Restore a SQL Server cluster when you have multiple NICs (NetBackup MS SQL Client)
  17. Performance and troubleshooting
    1.  
      NetBackup for SQL Server performance factors
    2. About debug logging for SQL Server troubleshooting
      1.  
        Setting the debug level on a NetBackup for SQL Server client
      2.  
        Veritas VSS provider logs
    3.  
      Troubleshooting credential validation
    4.  
      Troubleshooting VMware backups
    5.  
      SQL Server log truncation failure during VMware backups of SQL Server
    6.  
      About monitoring NetBackup for SQL Server operations
    7.  
      Set the maximum trace level for NetBackup for SQL Server
    8.  
      Reporting of unsuccessful filegroup or file backups
    9.  
      About minimizing timeout failures on large SQL Server database restores
    10.  
      SQL Server restore fails when you restore a SQL Server compressed backup image as a single stripe or with multiple stripes
    11.  
      Incorrect backup images are displayed for availability group clusters
    12.  
      A restore of a SQL Server database fails with Status Code 5, or Error (-1), when the host name of the SQL Server or the SQL Server database name has trailing spaces
    13.  
      A move operation fails with Status Code 5, or Error (-1), when the SQL Server host name, the database name, or the database logical name has trailing spaces
    14.  
      Unable to discover or browse availability group replicas
    15. About disaster recovery of SQL Server
      1.  
        Preparing for disaster recovery of SQL Server
      2.  
        Recovering SQL Server databases after disaster recovery
  18. Appendix A. Other configurations
    1.  
      Configuring multiplexed backups of SQL Server
    2.  
      Restoring a multiplexed SQL Server backup
    3. About SQL Server backups and restores in an SAP environment
      1. Creating batch files for automatic backups in for SQL Server in an SAP environment
        1.  
          Create a batch file for database backups
        2.  
          Create a batch file for transaction log backups
      2.  
        Monitoring backups on SQL Server
      3. Restoring the R/3 database
        1.  
          About including differential backups in a restore operation
        2.  
          Restore the R/3 database after a disk crash
        3.  
          Restore the database backups and transaction log backups
      4.  
        About policy configuration for SQL Server in an SAP environment
    4.  
      Configure NetBackup to support database log-shipping
    5.  
      Backing up SQL Server in an environment with log shipping
    6. About NetBackup for SQL Server with database mirroring
      1.  
        Configure NetBackup to support database mirroring
      2.  
        Perform simultaneous backups for mirrored partners
      3.  
        Restore a mirrored database backup image
  19. Appendix B. Register authorized locations
    1.  
      Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database script-based policy

About registering SQL Server instances and availability replicas

To protect SQL Server with protection plans or Intelligent Policies, you must add (or register) credentials to the SQL Server instances or availability replicas. The NetBackup web UI supports Windows authentication and Windows Active Directory authentication. It does not support Mixed Mode or SQL Server authentication. Credentials are not supported at the database or the availability group level.

See About options to register SQL Server credentials.

You can manually register individual instances or replicas.

See Register a SQL Server instance or replica with an existing credential.

See Register a SQL Server instance or replica with a new credential.

Table: Options to register credentials

Option to register credentials

Environment and configuration

Use these specific credentials (recommended)

  • The SQL Server DBA provides the NetBackup administrator with the SQL Server user credentials.

  • The SQL Server DBA does not want the NetBackup services running as a privileged SQL Server user on the client.

Configuration requirements

The user account that is used to register credentials must have the SQL Server "sysadmin" role and be a member of the Windows Administrators group.

The NetBackup services can use the Local System logon account. If you want to use a different logon account, that account must also have certain local security privileges.

See Configure the NetBackup services for SQL Server backups and restores.

See Configure local security privileges for SQL Server.

Use credentials that are defined locally on the client

  • The NetBackup services run as a privileged SQL Server user on the client.

  • The SQL Server DBA does not want to provide credentials to register instances or replicas.

  • The NetBackup administrator does not have access to the SQL Server credentials.

  • You want to use gMSA credentials.

Configuration requirements

The user account that is used to register credentials must have the SQL Server "sysadmin" role and be a member of the Windows Administrators group.

You must also configure the logon account for the NetBackup Client Service and the NetBackup Legacy Network service.

See Configure the NetBackup services for SQL Server backups and restores.

Registering instances when SQL Server hosts are clustered or use multiple NICs

When NetBackup discovers a SQL Server cluster, it adds a single entry on the Instances tab. This instance represents all nodes in the cluster. The host name is the virtual name of the SQL Server cluster. When you add credentials for this instance NetBackup validates the credentials on the active node. The credentials must be valid for all nodes in the cluster.

When NetBackup discovers a SQL Server host that uses multiple NICs, it adds an entry using the NetBackup client name on the Instances tab. If you installed the NetBackup client using the public interface name, you must configure the NetBackup client name as the private interface name. Then add credentials to the instance with its private interface name. For a SQL Server cluster that uses multiple NICs, add credentials to the instance with the private virtual name of the SQL Server cluster.

See Configure the NetBackup client with the private interface name.

Registering Microsoft SQL Server failover cluster instances (FCIs)

NetBackup discovers and displays failover cluster instances (FCIs) under the cluster name and the physical node names. For example, the instance FCI is enumerated with both its physical nodes hostvm10 and hostvm11 and with its cluster name sql-fci. Databases that exist for FCIs are also enumerated with the node names and the cluster name. Depending on how you want to protect a database, add credentials to either the cluster name (that are valid for all nodes) or to a physical node name.

Validation of credentials

After you add credentials, NetBackup validates the credentials and starts the database discovery and availability group discovery. When discovery completes, the results are displayed on the Databases or the Availability groups tab.

For a SQL Server cluster or if an availability group instance is part of a SQL Server cluster, NetBackup validates the credentials on the active node. The credentials must be valid for all nodes in the cluster. For a SQL Server availability group, replicas are registered and validated individually. Note that the registered date reflects the date and time the credential was added or updated. It does not indicate if the credentials are valid.