SQL Server Backup Topics

How to restore a sql server database to a point in time?

A very good feature for ms sql server backup software is the ability to restore database to a specified point in time.

This feature is very useful in certain circumstances.

For example ,

I have a scheduled job that performs full database backup every night at 23:00 . But today , something happened , I added some records this morning , however I deleted some usefull data accidentally at 2:00 pm.

Now the problem is :

Because I did not performed any backups during the day before 2:00 pm , the most recent backup is backup created at 23:00 last night. If I use this last night backup to restore my database, I'll lost all the data added/changed in the morning , but I want to keep work of this morning.

Thanks for ms sql server point in time recovery feature , I can restore the database to the point in time prior to 14:00 . I just need to do a transaction log backup at current moment (suppose it is 15:00) , and then I create a restore job and specify the restore point in time is 14:00 (maybe 13:59 is better) , of cause I run the restore job as soon as possbile. My work prior to 14:00 today is saved.

Although the ability to restore database to point in time is very useful , not all database can be restored to a specified point in time.

To restore a database to a point in time, the database and the backup must meet the following conditions:

 

How to upgrade SQL Server Backup to the latest version?

1 ). Upgrade from 8.x or later

  • Download a new copy of SQL Server Backup.
  • Uninstall old version. ( Important)
  • Install new version to original directory.

After upgrade the product , please double check previouse jobs , see if there is anything changed.

2 ). Upgrade from 6.x or 7.x

  • Delete all scheduled jobs in v7 / v6 or Control Panel->Task Scheduler.
  • Uninstall the v7 version to remove old backup agent service. (This step is very important. )
  • Download a lastest version of SQL Server Backup.
  • Install new version to original directory or new directory.
  • Re-enter your license key .
  • If you install to original directory , please double check the old job and configuration , see if there is anything changed .
  • Re-create scheduled task for your job ,because it use own scheduler engine since v8.

 

Walk-through 6 : Using command line to run a job (for v8 later)

If you are using SQL Server Backup v 7 , please click here
To integrate SQL Server Backup to other production batch jobs , you can use command line to start a pre-defined job. Following command line format is for SQL Server Backup v8 or later , Please make sure you are using a latest version of SQL Server Backup product.

The command line format as following:

{installation directory}\SQLServerBackup.exe

I get "Access is denied" error when I back up SQL server database to a network shared folder.

Storage server saves backup to target shared folder , but Storage Server service is running as Local System account in default . Local System account may not have enough privileges to access the network shared folder. So you can change DataBK Storage Server service account to a new one in in Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Service , see following : (Please note that : Server that shares the folder should also has the same account name and password . )

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 backup and restore supports

SQL Server Backup is able to back up and restore the latest Microsoft SQL Server 2012. When you configure the backup instance, please select a correct SQL server edition.

And this software is also able to restore SQL server 2005 and/or 2008 backup to SQL 2012 server, it is very easy to do that, just define a new restore job to migrant an early version database to SQL 2012 server.

microsoft sql server 2012 backup and restore supports

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