Backup and Restore of SQL Express

[wwillsey]

I'm testing a baremetal recovery of my WSUS server. I'm using SQL Express for the DB. When a backup is initiated from the TSM server files in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data fo9lder are not all backed up. Only mssqlsystemresource.mdf, mssqlsystemresource.ldf, tempdb.mdf and templog.ldf are backedup. There is no exclude in the dsm.opt file and the files are not reported as skipped in the dsmerror.log or the TSM reports.
If I initiate the backup from the client, the files are backedup.

Any thoughts? I'm new to TSM and I don't administer the TSM server.

Thanks,
Warren

 

[nezih]

use dsmc query inclexcl for excluded files and folders and check the mssql\data folder is listed in there

 

[wwillsey]

I ran the query and it returns excludes for the files I'm trying to backup. These excludes are not in the dsm.opt file and I have no reference to a text file using the inclexcl option in the dsm.opt file. Where are the additional excludes comming from?

 

[max]

hi,
please check into the Client GUI (Edit - Preferences - Include-Exclude). You might have excluded the folders in there.

cheers
max

 

[wwillsey]

That appears to be a GUI edit of the dsm.opt file.
Is it possible that TSM requires an SQL license to backup SQL Express?

 

[max]

i'm not sure i see what you mean ...

you do not need any sql license should you backup "flat-file".
cheers
max

 

[moon-buddy]

That appears to be a GUI edit of the dsm.opt file.
Is it possible that TSM requires an SQL license to backup SQL Express?

You need a .LIC file for SQL if you are running TDP for SQL.

Another way of backing up your database is by backing up database dump files which is a very common practice.

 

[wwillsey]

If I stop the Windows Internal Database (MICROSOFT##SSEE) service the database, in this case susdb, is backed up as a flat file. What is not backed up are all the files needed to start the service located at C:\WINDOWS\SYSMSI\SSEE\MSSQL.2005\MSSQL\Data. If I specifically include this path in the dsm.opt file when I run "dsmc query inclexcl" the resultant output contains exclude entries for all the files in the path before ( in the top) of the output. My understanding is that the commands are processed from the bottom to the top causing the include statements to be overridden by the excludes. The output says the "Source file" for the includes is dsm.opt and the "source file" for the excludes is Operating System. Where do the Excludes come from?

 

[47hex]

sql express

Warren,

You are correct that include statements are processed from the bottom of the dsm.opt file up. However exclude.dir will over ride an include no matter where it sits in the list. Also check your domain statement to make sure it includes the drive where the sql data folder is. TSM can not usually back an active sql database up without using the tdp for sql application. You will either need to stop the sql db service before the TSM backup or write a script that uses something like the osql command to back up the database to another location and then have tsm backup the static .bak file.

sample osql: OSQL -Usa -PmyPasword -n -Q "BACKUP DATABASE msdb TO DISK = 'c:\msdb.dat_bak'"

 

[JohanW]

Installing SQL Server, or, apparently, SQL Express, adds an exclude somewhere in the VSS excludes, which are not shown in dsm.opt. But they are definitely there.

I have been unable to locate these excludes in the registry unfortunately, maybe someone else can help out there.

 

[wwillsey]

Backing up SQL Express

My Databases are backed up by stopping the SQL services.

The problem I'm having is that the files required to start the service located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data\,

master.mdf
mastlog.ldf
model.mdf
modellog.ldf
msdbdata.mdf
msdblog.ldf
mssqlsystemresource.ldf
mssqlsystemresource.mdf,

aren't being backed up and are excluded somewhere other than in the DSM.OPT file. I think this is happening because TSM sees SQL installed on the client but there is no TDP for SQL, so it inserts the excludes.

If I install TDP for SQL will this remove the excludes from the system and allow these files to be backed up?