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Help with a query regarding going to SQL 2005 + backups

  • July 19, 2006 at 8:08 am

    #91233

    Tomorrow I have a meeting with the IT team about getting a new server and upgrading to SQL 2005.  I at present find myself locking horns with my superiors over the subject of backups.  Due to stubborness being one of my better qualities I thought I'd run the debate at hand past you lot and see what you think...

    My superiors: Want to move to imaging software (which I have no problem with) but they don't want to do regular db backups (at present 1 full one per day) or do differentials on some of the more active dbs ( one per hour) or keep the transactions up to date (once every 10 minutes).  They believe that running an image every 1/2 hour will suffice.

    Me: Databases always get backed up and you always keep a stack of them.  Relying on mdf's is suicide... relying on just a daily backup is like torturing yourself.

    In other words keep the old very thorough system.

     

    Am I just being old fashioned and over-cautious?? I don't think so but as I said I thought I'd ask fellow DBA's about it before I head off into battle tomorrow.

  • July 19, 2006 at 9:35 am

    #650148

    I use imaging that supports sql server, and that is the key, to backup test machines all the time to get the whole system back to a specific state.

    For production, I wouldn't do this. There is no better way to recover up to the minute than using sql server backup to backup databases period.

    Also, for speed of recovery I would look at the multiple database backup tools that support compression as well. You will get alot better performance from them than the imaging solution on saving backup space for sql server.

    Wes

  • July 20, 2006 at 5:33 am

    #650348

    Have your superiors ever heard of the phrase "don't put all your eggs in one basket"?

     

    Norene

    Have a good day,

    Norene Malaney

  • July 20, 2006 at 1:26 pm

    #650508

    Can you do a point in time restore with the imaging software?  You can w/SQL backups.  How long would it take to get a DB restored from an image, and would you have to rely on someone else to do it?

    The network admins at my shop tried to push something similar, noting that their Veritas tape backup has a SQL agent that allows it to backup the mdf and ldf.  However, if I relied on that, it would take considerably longer to get a DB restored and I would have to get the network admins involved.  Plus like your situation, they only backup once a day.

    Best practice is backup to disk and let a tape/image backup pick up from disk. 

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