NOTE: Anytime Data Protector Express returns an error message that is greater than 10000, a Microsoft SQL or Exchange error has occurred. Refer to your Microsoft documentation for more information as this is a Microsoft error code.

Microsoft SQL Server Databases and the backup mode

The Backup mode on the Options tab of a job that backs up SQL Server database instances is especially critical.

Backup modes

When the Full setting is selected, all files selected for backup are backed up, including SQL Server database instances and databases. However, when either the Incremental or Differential option is selected, Data Protector Express backs up only the transaction logs for each database.

CAUTION: There is no difference between Incremental and Differential jobs for SQL Server databases.

When the Backup mode is set to Copy, Data Protector Express a creates a full backup of the database but does not truncate the logs.

Additional Conditions

Master, Model, MSDB and Pubs databases support only full backups. The Backup mode option is automatically set to Full when backing up these databases.

If you set a job to run in either Incremental or Differential mode and the job can only run as a full backup (as a result of the provision above), the job will fail to run on each of its initial passes, but will run in Full backup mode on its final pass.

Using Data Protector Express with SQL Server’s Backup Routine

Microsoft SQL Server has default utilities and commands for backing up data. When you use Data Protector Express to back up SQL Server databases, you can still use these default SQL Server utilities and commands.

For example, you can use the DUMP command to dump transaction logs to the dump device (preferably, a separate disk drive). You can set this up to occur at regular intervals, such as every 15 minutes or every hour. Next, you can create a backup job that backs up these transaction logs onto archival media every day.

In general, when you implement Data Protector Express to back up your SQL Server databases, continue to use SQL Server’s internal commands to duplicate and back up transaction logs. Set up a separate Data Protector Express backup job to write these duplicated transaction logs to archival media.

Restoring Microsoft SQL Server

When restoring SQL Server databases, you must:

1.Restore a full backup of the SQL Server database.

2.Restore the logs in the order created.

3.Follow special procedures when renaming databases (if you rename databases).

NOTE: Any time Data Protector Express returns an error message that is greater than 10000, a Microsoft SQL or Exchange error has occurred. Refer to your Microsoft documentation for more information as this is a Microsoft error code.

Restoring Microsoft SQL Server databases and transaction logs

When recreating a database, you must first restore the whole database (created by a backup job running in full backup mode).

52 Working with Third-Party Applications