You don't need to take the host down for consistent clones, the database just needs to be put in hot backup mode. You can use scripts to put the database in backup mode, split the clones, then take the database out of hot backup mode. Your DBAs should be able to help you with the sql scripts.

Depending on what you need the clone for though, you may be able to get by with a crash consistent copy of the DB. You just need to run recovery on the database. As long as you are cloning the log volumes in addition to the data volumes this should work.

Ideally though if you want a good SQL consistent copy of the database you should use RM of TF/SIM. I use RM for making clones/bcv/snaps of SQL databases on our DMX. It works great.

could be taking the sql db "offline" - before split and then putting db back "online" - after ? thanks

Nope, it doesn't take the db offline. I am not sure why you think Microsoft SQL Server cannot be backed up online. There is a ton of documentation on MSDN about SQL backup and recovery. If SQL can run in backup mode and create a 'hot' backup to a file, then the API exists to put the database in backup mode and take it out of backup mode.

that will sure work if your users/applications are willing to take that outage.

I am not a DBA so don't know the correct term, but there is a backup mode in SQL server that allows you to get a consistent view of the data and log files on a volume for backup and recovery purposes.

Thanks. I will definitly have to read more about RM TF/SIM. There is no "hot backup mode" in sql server. I am looking to use TF/Clone to creat our reporting databases.

Looking through my RM logs I can see where the agent is talking to SQLServer agent within the instance hosting the database and freezes the database, peforms a consistent split of the clones, then thaws database. So this is scriptable, but it is most likely will require a bit of work.

Sql server's backups are always hot backups but unlike Oracle there is no such thing to put sql server database in "backup mode". thanks.

Like I said, I am no DBA so my terminology in reference to SQL backups may not be accurate. But I see in the logs that RM is able to freeze the SQL database for creating a consistent mirror/clone of the LUNs that the SQL data and log files use, and then RM issues a thaw command. Sounds like a backup mode to me .

I think the thing we need to focus on is that we all understand the reason why and how we need to get the db in a restartable mode, which is probably named differently in MS SQL or Oracle or DB2, or whatever.

Consistency and restartability is what we need here !