I have a client using an XP Pro machine as a peer-peer server, and it
also runs MS SQL server.
I'm thinking about an HP USB tape drive for backup (since it's a very
small form-factor PC that couldn't take a SCSI adpator), but I'm
concerned about the backup software.
I'm pretty sure that Backup Exec will only run on a server OS, but I
need something that will backup an MS SQL database and will run on XP
Pro.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
joe

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google.20.jbloggs@xoxy.net wrote:
> I have a client using an XP Pro machine as a peer-peer server, and it
> also runs MS SQL server.
> I'm thinking about an HP USB tape drive for backup (since it's a very
> small form-factor PC that couldn't take a SCSI adpator), but I'm
> concerned about the backup software.
> I'm pretty sure that Backup Exec will only run on a server OS, but I
> need something that will backup an MS SQL database and will run on XP
> Pro.

What exactly does "backup an MS SQL database" mean to you?

There is a method of backing up a SQL database that you'd actually like to
restore some day that is both easy and free (in the sense that it uses tools
you already paid for in the OS and SQL server). In my experience it also
tends to be very reliable, much more so than most of the more expensive SQL
backup options.

Use the SQL server maintenance routine to write backups of your database
plus the various system databases to a file device (this is covered in
detail in the SQL help). You'll then have a file saved to hard disk which
you can then backup with NTBackup (or any other backup program you like) as
a normal file backed up in the normal way.

To restore, simply reverse the process.

Simple. Reliable. Cheap. Doesn't involve running server software like
backupexec on a workstation.


--
--
Rob Moir
Website - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk
Virtual PC 2004 FAQ - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk/win/VirtualPC2004FAQ.html
Kazaa - Software update services for your Viruses and Spyware.

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I second this excellent advice made by Robert.






Joe Rom King
--
Unattended File-Level Incremental Backup to Disk, with Backup
Generation Manager
http://www.datamills.com

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thanks for the advice - is this a process that can be scheduled, and
run while the database is running?

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google.20.jbloggs@xoxy.net wrote:
> thanks for the advice - is this a process that can be scheduled, and
> run while the database is running?

In SQL server? Yes, investigate the maintenance tasks in the "Enterprise
Manager" console, and you can create a few jobs here to perform essential
database maintenance, including the backups to a file that I mentioned. This
all takes place without interupting the SQL server's operations.

You can then schedule your backup program to run a few hours after SQL's
backup was scheduled to run, and grab the files that the SQL backup
generated. NTBackup has a built in "interface" to Windows' own task
scheduler to control when its backups run.

--
--
Rob Moir
Website - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk
Virtual PC 2004 FAQ - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk/win/VirtualPC2004FAQ.html
Kazaa - Software update services for your Viruses and Spyware.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Actually, SQL Server Backup can write directly to tape. There's no need
in NTBackup.


--
http://www.firestreamer.com
Use NTBackup and SQLBackup with DVD, HDD, Iomega REV,
encryption, compression, x64, IA-64, more!


Robert Moir wrote:
> google.20.jbloggs@xoxy.net wrote: 
>
> In SQL server? Yes, investigate the maintenance tasks in the "Enterprise
> Manager" console, and you can create a few jobs here to perform essential
> database maintenance, including the backups to a file that I mentioned. Th
is
> all takes place without interupting the SQL server's operations.
>
> You can then schedule your backup program to run a few hours after SQL's
> backup was scheduled to run, and grab the files that the SQL backup
> generated. NTBackup has a built in "interface" to Windows' own task
> scheduler to control when its backups run.
>
> --
> --
> Rob Moir
> Website - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk
> Virtual PC 2004 FAQ - [url]http://www.robertmoir.co.uk/win/VirtualPC2004FAQ.html[/url
]
> Kazaa - Software update services for your Viruses and Spyware.

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Steve wrote:
> Actually, SQL Server Backup can write directly to tape. There's no
> need in NTBackup.

True though I've never used it myself. I'm used to taking backups of an
entire system including OS, and to me my method seems the easiest way of
doing that (and doesn't stop other processes from spiriting off SQL backups
ran throughout the day for other purposes).

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Hi Joe,
Backup Exec will run on Windows XP Professional (Not Windows XP Home), and
will backup the local system and SQL databases (with the SQL Agent) while
they are running. Just like on Windows Server.

Thanks
Nick


<google.20.jbloggs@xoxy.net> wrote in message
news:1126727313.099498.119170@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>I have a client using an XP Pro machine as a peer-peer server, and it
> also runs MS SQL server.
> I'm thinking about an HP USB tape drive for backup (since it's a very
> small form-factor PC that couldn't take a SCSI adpator), but I'm
> concerned about the backup software.
> I'm pretty sure that Backup Exec will only run on a server OS, but I
> need something that will backup an MS SQL database and will run on XP
> Pro.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Thanks,
> joe
>

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]