PowerProtect Data Manager 19.9 Microsoft Application Agent SQL Server User Guide

Overview of Application Direct with SQL Server backups

The Microsoft application agent for Application Direct with SQL Server module integrates with the SQL Virtual Device Interface (VDI).

The interface enables you to configure the module by using a SQL Server Management Studio plug-in.

The plug-in is similar to the SQL native backup and restore graphical user interface (GUI). Database administrators (DBAs) can use the Microsoft native tools to back up and restore the SQL data.

NOTE Self-service backups and restores are backups and restores that you perform through the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), Transact-SQL (T-SQL) scripting, or the Microsoft application agent command-line interface.

Application Direct backups to a DD system use the following components:

The Application Direct library API enables the backup software to communicate with the DD system.

The DDBEA section of the eLab Navigator at https://elabnavigator.emc.com/eln/modernHomeDataProtection provides information about the supported versions of the Application Direct library and the DDOS.
The distributed segment processing component reviews the data that is already stored on the DD system, and sends only unique data for storage. The distributed segment processing component enables the backup data to be deduplicated on the database or application host to reduce the amount of data transferred over the network. Distributed segment processing provides information.

When the DD system restores data to a client, the system converts the stored data to its original non-deduplicated state before sending it over the network.