PowerProtect Data Manager 19.9 Microsoft Application Agent SQL Server User Guide

Configure optional backup settings

When you configure SQL backups with the Microsoft app agent for Application Direct SSMS plug-in, you can specify optional backup settings on the Backup > Options page.

1. From the left panel, click Options to specify optional backup settings.

   The Options page appears as shown in the following figure.

   

2. To perform a checksum operation with the backup and save the information to the backup media, select Perform checksum before writing to media.
   The Microsoft application agent performs another checksum before a restore to ensure that the checksum matches the backup.
3. To use a checksum to detect a partial backup or restore state, select Continue on error.
   The SQL Server verifies the checksum by calculating a local result and comparing the result with the stored value. If the values do not match and you encounter errors, you can select this option to continue the backup or restore operation.
4. To truncate the transaction logs before a backup, select Truncate the transaction log.
   The Microsoft application agent enables this option if you select transaction log as the backup type.
5. To perform a tail-log backup of the database and leave the database in the restoring state, select Backup the tail of the log and leave database in restoring state.
6. Under Stripes, select Create a striped backup to create a striped backup. You can also specify the number of stripes. If you specify a value greater than the maximum limit of 32, the value defaults to 32.
7. To promote backups of SIMPLE recovery model databases to level full, select Promote to full backup.
   SIMPLE recovery model databases do not support transaction log backups. The Microsoft application agent enables this option if you select the SIMPLE recovery model databases to back up, and transaction log as the backup type.
8. To omit SIMPLE recovery model databases from the backup, select Skip backup.
   Microsoft application agent enables this option if you select the SIMPLE recovery model databases to back up, and transaction log as the backup type. SIMPLE recovery model databases do not support transaction log backups.
9. To check the status of the selected databases and ignore the databases that are unready or unavailable for the backup, select Skip databases that cannot be backed up at its current state.

   If the status of the databases is ONLINE, the databases are ready or available for backups.

   If the status of the databases is OFFLINE, EMERGENCY (SINGLE_USER Mode), SUSPECT, RESTORING, RECOVERING, or RECOVERY_PENDING, the databases are unready or unavailable for backups.

10. To generate detailed logs, which you can use to troubleshoot backup issues, specify a number between 1 and 9 in the Select a debug level field. The default value is 0 (zero).
11. To delete debug logs older than a certain number of days, in the Delete debug logs after field, specify the number of days with a number between 1 and 32767 days. The default value is 0 and does not delete any debug logs.

    Regularly deleting debug logs prevents the log folder on the installation drive from becoming too large.

    NOTE This option only deletes debug logs named in the default format and located in the logs folder at <installation_path>\MSAPPAGENT\logs.
12. To specify backup promotion options, select one of the following values from the Backup Promotion list:
    • ALL: Enables backup promotion to occur in any applicable scenario.
    • NONE: Disables all backup promotion.
    • NONE_WITH_WARNINGS: Disables backup promotion, but logs a warning when backup promotion would normally occur.
    • SKIP_RECOVERY_MODEL: Disables database recovery model change detection. Backup promotion as a result of recovery model change will not occur, but backup promotion in other scenarios will still occur.
    • SKIP_RECOVERY_MODEL_WITH_WARNINGS: Enables database recovery model change detection, but if a recover model change is discovered, logs a warning instead of promoting the backup. Backup promotion in other scenarios will still occur.
13. To specify advanced backup options, use the Advanced Options field to select or type advanced options.
    Separate multiple entries with a comma, for example:

    BUFFERCOUNT=2, READ_WRITE_FILEGROUPS

    The following advanced backup options are supported:

    • BUFFERCOUNT=number_of_IO_buffers: Specifies the total number of IO buffers that can be used during the backup operation.
    • READ_WRITE_FILEGROUPS: Backs up only the read/write (active) filegroups within the database.
14. To start the backup operation, click Run.