SQL Server Tape Backups 1

[AndyLee100]

Hi All

Reading through these forums, considered opinion seems to be that the best backup option is to backup to disk from SQL and then use a third party tool to backup to tape such as Backup Exec etc.

Can ask why?

Leaving disk backups aside, I have always found backing up to tape from SQL easiest in terms of backup and restore.

I have tried to get to grips with Tapeware and BackupExec without much success and do not consider the software to be at all reliable.

Would like other peoples opinion on this, so that we can provide better solutions for our customers.

Thanks in advance

Andy Lee

 

[MDXer]

The main reason would be speed and performance. The speed of the backup device is important. I do't know of any backup devices that have the same throughput as a hardrive. If your backing up a large database that has a high degree of activity then the backup will cause performance to degrade on the db or the back-up and possibly both. If you backup to disk then the speed of the backup device is not a factor and since you would then be backing up a file performance of the database is not affected.

As to the software packages I have never used Tapeware but have used BackupExec on VLDBs with no problems at all. Granted these make take more of a time investment in setting up and configuring but can be just as effective as a SQL backup to tape.

"Shoot Me! Shoot Me NOW!!!"
- Daffy Duck

 

[SQLBill]

At one time, I used the Backup Exec SQL Agent to backup my SQL Server database. Then my server crashed and I needed to restore from tape. (Didn't have a test system and due to the circumstances was never able to TEST the backup and restore). Turned out Veritas and their reseller never told me that there was a problem with BE 8.6 and SQL Server (and they knew about it BEFORE they sold me the product). I had to send my tapes to Veritas for recovery and it took over a month.

I do have to say, that the setup had to be very particular for the backups to not work properly. But I quickly lost my trust in having third party products backup my SQL Server databases.

I now use SQL Server to backup to disk and then use Backup Exec to copy the backup files to tape.

-SQLBill