How to Boost SQL Server Backups with Data Domain

Microsoft SQL Server is a business-critical application requiring a reliable and customizable data protection infrastructure. While most database administrators (DBAs) prefer using built-in SQL-Server tools, backup operators generally want to use more traditional backup and recovery applications.

EMC Data Domain Boost for Microsoft Applications (DDBMA) helps bridge the gap between the two teams. DDBMA provides DBAs with a familiar environment to manage data protection processes and the Data Domain appliance is an industry-leading platform trusted by infrastructure operations teams.

While current EMC documentation on DDBMA provides guidance for using the primary graphical user interface, there is a need for more detailed guidance on integrating the use of the tool with Transact-SQL (T-SQL) backup and restore operations and SQL Agent jobs. This is critical because it allows DBAs to incorporate important business rules into the SQL Server data protection strategy.

In this Knowledge Sharing article, David Muegge explores how the data protection requirements of DBAs and infrastructure operations can co-exist using Data Domain and DDBMA. The article includes detailed information on prerequisites for use, integrating with traditional backup processes, and guidance on these commonly required scenarios. Highlights include:

• Using DDBMA in a T-SQL backup and restore script Restore from a primary Data Domain to an alternate server

• Restore from a secondary Data Domain at a disaster recovery site

• Restore database to a specific point in time

• Using DDBMA from a SQL agent job and maintenance plan Detect success and failure

• Provide notifications from SQL Server

• Using DDBMA to automate a database refresh from production to development or testing

• Using DDBMA to perform log shipping

It will also include detailed examples of T-SQL scripting and SQL Agent job configuration using the SQL Server Data Domain Boost Scripting Toolkit.

This article will be of interest to IT directors, backup operators, and SQL Server DBAs. The primary goal is to provide a solid foundation for SQL DBAs to better integrate DDBMA into existing processes, with the hope this knowledge will also benefit infrastructure operations teams.

Read the full article.