Veritas-bu

[Veritas-bu] SQL agent backups

2005-07-28 02:02:51
Subject: [Veritas-bu] SQL agent backups
From: joe AT joe DOT net (Johnny Oestergaard)
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 08:02:51 +0200
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As I see it the main difference in using the SQL client and eg Windows, 
Exvchange og the old SPS clients are that the SQL client acts a little 
different.
SQL backups are done using the normal SQL backup tools except NBU directs 
them to NBU.

A normal backup of eg a Windows server is solely initiated from the master 
and media server. For SQL servers it is a little different because what NBU 
does is to send a req. to start one or more scripts on the SQL server. 
These scripts then take over and run the backup.
The only thing I have found that gave me a problem is that our standard 
setup of a policy in NBU included at least two schedules. One daily and one 
weekly with different retentions. This can't be done in an SQL policy. Or 
to be correct, you can define it, but eg the retention of the weekly 
schedule will be the same as the daily even if you define a different one. 
That problem was simply solved by having two policies.
Except for this you would not normaly think different about an SQL backup 
and any other.

What I have done to make my life a little more easy is that I have 2 
scripts on each SQL server (SQL-Data.bch and SQL-Logs.bch). All named and 
located the same place. Each script I make manualy to include the relevant 
Databases and logfiles but I only have a few SQL policies that all call 
these scripts so I just have added all the servers to these policies.
I also have a policy that only includes the SQL-Logs.bch of some of the SQL 
servers. This policy takes a backup of the logfiles every 2 hours except in 
the windows I have defined for the backups of the SQL-Databases.

I have around 25 SQL servers I backup daily using the SQL client and I 
don't have any problems except on the servers that are used by our 
programmers (they create and delete databases without telling it to anyone)
NBU is 5.1 MP3a (sone clients are still 4.5FP6)

If you want to see the policies I have I can mail them to you

/johnny



At 13:19 27-07-2005 -0400, Paul Keating wrote:
>Been looking into deploying SQL agent now, vs stopping DB's to back em up 
>cold.
>
>In previous environments I've worked with the Oracle Agents on machines 
>that were "borderline" on disk capacity, and the DB server spawned the 
>backup jobs, and look out if one failed cuz the fertilizer would hit the 
>ventilator......they had enough disk to run about 5 hours without a backup 
>to flush logs.
>
>In my current environment, we're implementing a couple SQL servers that 
>will have 100+ Gig DBs, so dumping to disk to backup is pretty much out of 
>the question due to disk space, but if I were to install SQL agents, how 
>would that affect my, otherwise busy, Netbackup environment?
>
>Can I still control, from the master, when jobs will start (I'm not 
>talking backup windows, but rather scheduling jobs)
>Server initiated, vs client initiated backups, if you will.
>I'm under the impression that the client starts the job, which I suppose 
>is true for ANY client, though "normal" backups are started when directed 
>by the master.
>I guess I was under the impression that the backup schedul for SQL agent 
>had to be configured via the client, vs via the master.
>
>Also, if a SQL server agent job queues, will it happily sit in the queue 
>untill resources become available? as if it were a fileserver? or do agent 
>jobs have to get to tape FAST.
>
>Any input would be appreciated.
>
>Paul

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<html>
As I see it the main difference in using the SQL client and eg Windows,
Exvchange og the old SPS clients are that the SQL client acts a little
different.<br>
SQL backups are done using the normal SQL backup tools except NBU directs
them to NBU.<br><br>
A normal backup of eg a Windows server is solely initiated from the
master and media server. For SQL servers it is a little different because
what NBU does is to send a req. to start one or more scripts on the SQL
server. These scripts then take over and run the backup.<br>
The only thing I have found that gave me a problem is that our standard
setup of a policy in NBU included at least two schedules. One daily and
one weekly with different retentions. This can't be done in an SQL
policy. Or to be correct, you can define it, but eg the retention of the
weekly schedule will be the same as the daily even if you define a
different one. That problem was simply solved by having two
policies.<br>
Except for this you would not normaly think different about an SQL backup
and any other.<br><br>
What I have done to make my life a little more easy is that I have 2
scripts on each SQL server (SQL-Data.bch and SQL-Logs.bch). All named and
located the same place. Each script I make manualy to include the
relevant Databases and logfiles but I only have a few SQL policies that
all call these scripts so I just have added all the servers to these
policies.<br>
I also have a policy that only includes the SQL-Logs.bch of some of the
SQL servers. This policy takes a backup of the logfiles every 2 hours
except in the windows I have defined for the backups of the
SQL-Databases.<br><br>
I have around 25 SQL servers I backup daily using the SQL client and I
don't have any problems except on the servers that are used by our
programmers (they create and delete databases without telling it to
anyone)<br>
NBU is 5.1 MP3a (sone clients are still 4.5FP6)<br><br>
If you want to see the policies I have I can mail them to you<br><br>
/johnny<br><br>
<br><br>
At 13:19 27-07-2005 -0400, Paul Keating wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite><font face="arial" size=2>Been
looking into deploying SQL agent now, vs stopping DB's to back em up
cold.</font><br>
&nbsp;<br>
<font face="arial" size=2>In previous environments I've worked with the
Oracle Agents on machines that were &quot;borderline&quot; on disk
capacity, and the DB server spawned the backup jobs, and look out if one
failed cuz the fertilizer would hit the ventilator......they had enough
disk to run about 5 hours without a backup to flush logs.</font><br>
&nbsp;<br>
<font face="arial" size=2>In my current environment, we're implementing a
couple SQL servers that will have 100+ Gig DBs, so dumping to disk to
backup is pretty much out of the question due to disk space, but if I
were to install SQL agents, how would that affect my, otherwise busy,
Netbackup environment?</font><br>
&nbsp;<br>
<font face="arial" size=2>Can I still control, from the master, when jobs
will start (I'm not talking backup windows, but rather scheduling jobs)
</font><br>
<font face="arial" size=2>Server initiated, vs client initiated backups,
if you will.</font><br>
<font face="arial" size=2>I'm under the impression that the client starts
the job, which I suppose is true for ANY client, though
&quot;normal&quot; backups are started when directed by the
master.</font><br>
<font face="arial" size=2>I guess I was under the impression that the
backup schedul for SQL agent had to be configured via the client, vs via
the master.</font><br>
&nbsp;<br>
<font face="arial" size=2>Also, if a SQL server agent job queues, will it
happily sit in the queue untill resources become available? as if it were
a fileserver? or do agent jobs have to get to tape FAST.</font><br>
&nbsp;<br>
<font face="arial" size=2>Any input would be appreciated.</font><br>
&nbsp;<br>
<font face="arial" size=2>Paul</font></blockquote></html>

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