MS SQL backup solution

Have a client who has two Windows 2003 Standard servers at two separate locations. Each one has less than 6 workstations running XP Pro. Need a backup solution that will allow me to backup up their MS SQL databases. Currently they are using tape backup but it has problems with the SQL databases.

 

You can use Acronis True Image 9.0 Enterprise Server to backup these servers.
This software supports MS SQL and will be able to backup it.

You can get some information about the software at the following link:

http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/ATIESWin/

 

Hmm what about "Acronis True Image 9.1 Server for Windows " for each server? These two servers are not connected via WAN etc. They are using 2 and 3 workstations in total on each server and the only reason that they are using Windows 2003 Server is that the main application that they used recently required Win2k3 server. Its going to be be a hard sell telling them that they may have to shell out $1700 CDN+ to upgrade two systems that they purchased from someone else and which are not 1 year old.

 

enduser, short of buying acronis server, you could try the following:

use the integrated backup of MS SQL to backup your databases to the HD and then include such backups in the tape backups. It'll be a bit more of a pain if you ever have to do a restore but it should work with your current backup system.

I believe you still need to stop the SQL service prior to the snapshot process if you go with acronis, but I could be wrong?

 

Acronis True Image 9.1 Server for Windows can do the job too.
The main difference (regarding MS SQL Support) is that Acronis True Image 9.1 Enterprise Server for Windows will stop service during snapshot creation automatically.

With Acronis True Image 9.1 Server for Windows you can create special batch file that will stop service, start backup creation and start service. You can get more information about this situation in User Guide available at:

http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/download/docs/

 

Well I came across the section showing a series of "net stop" commands for MS Exchange in that manual.

It is going to be a very hard sell on my part to tell this client that they have to spend probably $2000+ CDN to backup two servers which they only bought less than a year ago (from someone else). The only reason they bought the servers was because the custom application that they use was upgraded and it required a Windows server. This TI Server/Enterprise still does not give them the ability to do a bare restore on a new computer in case of fire/theft etc nor to backup the 2 and 3 workstations at each of their two locations.

 

Yes it does. With Universal Restore it does. cost $299

 

So for the Server + Universal restore would cost them $1,000USD or $1,102CDN + additional external hardware for the backups plus taxes to backup one Win2k3 Stnd server which has 2 workstations in total using it. I can't see them buying the product for the small system that they have and they still will not have backed up the 2 workstations for that price. I can see this product being more suited to normal Win2k3 systems that have a lot more people using the server.

 

Hello enduser999,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Server Disk Backup Software.

First of all, let me correct Vart's reply (post #5). Please note that if your database is compatible with Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), then enabling VSS support will ensure completion of all transactions before the backup process starts. Then the database will be ready to access immediately after recovery. The examples of VSS-aware databases are Exchange, Oracle, SQL. Both Acronis True Image 9.1 Server for Windows and Acronis True Image 9.1 Enterprise Server fully support VSS. So, in this case you will not need to use pre/post commands to run batch files or scripts that pause/resume the appropriate Windows services. Additional information about database support can be found in Chapter 5.3.4 "Database support" in the Acronis True Image 9.1 Server for Windows User Guide.

Also, as jeremyotten said, Acronis developed a special pug-in for Corporate product line - Acronis Universal Restore. Acronis Universal Restore allows you to restore to different hardware or to a virtual machine, providing complete disaster recovery. Acronis Universal Restore is an optional program feature. It should be purchased separately and installed from a separate .msi setup file. Please note that versions of Acronis Universal Restore differ for different versions of Acronis True Image. You can find the information about different versions of Acronis Universal Restore here.

Please note that we have a flexible system of discounts and the amount of the discount varies depending on the number of copies you want to purchase. Therefore, I would recommend that you contact our Sales Team at sales@acronis.com and they will provide you with detailed information.

Thank you.
--
Aleksandr Isakov

 

Thanks for the info. However how can Acronis ensure that the Universal Restore will work on chipsets and motherboards that are not even released yet without using MS Sysprep first? When doing a disaster recovery one has to use what is available and that will probably mean a computer based on a new motherboard and chipset.

 

Hello enduser999,

As long as Microsoft and most hardware vendors use the current technologies for their production (there is a limited amount of standards in the modern software\hardware production) there should not be any problems using Acronis Universal Restore on any x86-based machine with any NT-based Windows version. Moreover, Acronis Universal Restore allows you to provide your own drivers for the new hardware upon the backup restoration (the latest drivers can usually be downloaded from the hardware vendor official web site).

You can find more information on how to use Acronis Universal Restore in the respective Acronis True Image version User's Guide.

If you have any further questions concerning Acronis software, please feel free to submit a request for technical support or post any of them on this forum. We will certainly try to help you in resolving any issues.

Thank you.
--
Alexey Popov