Veritas Backup Exec 10 - Agent for MS SQL 2k
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Hi,
I have an enterprise edition of ms sql 2k on win2003 enterprise edition. We are using VERITAS BACKUP EXEC 10 for windows 2003 server. I was asked if we should use an Agent for MS SQL 2k along with it. Is there anyone with experiences with this product? (The agent costs about $800 and I'd like to know if it's really needed.) Then could you share them with me? Thanks.
Dong.
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I don't know about that version, but several years ago, we were using Veritas to back up a large database. When we attempted to restore the database during a disaster recovery test, we couldn't restore. Needless to say, we immediately stopped using Veritas, and I have fought to keep out 3rd party backup utilities ever since (though I am looking at LiteSpeed).
Steve
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No, it really isn't needed. SQL Server backups to disk, then backup the backup files to tape. That provides the fastest and least impact on performance. (While a backup is running, database access will be slower. Backups to tape are going to be slower than backups to disk. Also, the backup agent will not provide transaction log backups during the day, if you want higher recoverability or looking to keep log file sizes down.
Mark -
I usually advise clients not to use the backup agents. They are intrusive and can cause issues ( I had a client with a tape drive failure whilst backing up master - ouch, master ended up corrupt) . Use SQL to backup to disk and then use the network backup to grab this file. Also it is cheaper (this will make the business happy).
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While my experience many years ago wasn't with Veritas, I think it's pretty pertinant here. When I started as the DBA the company was already using the ArcServe SQL Agent. The vendor told them it made things easy and everything would be contained in one simple backup job. This it did and seemed to do it well. At the time I didn't have any experience with these whiz-bang backups agents at the time I decide to let it slide till I was more at ease in my new role
Things really went bad when the backups went screwy one night and managed to corrupt every database on the server
"No problem" says the IT Manager "We've got the backups from the previous night.". So we tried, and failed, to restore from the previous nights backup, and the night before that, and the night before that, ... 
We ended up going back 6 days before we found a backup we could restore
The Agent had been screwing up the backups for the last 5 days but only failed on the 6th day
I shudder to thing what would have happened if we'd gone a full cycle with our tapes 
The support guys at ArcServe washed their hands of the problem saying it was a problem with the media. Even though all the other data on the same tape was perfectly ok. 
Needless to say the SQL Agent was removed ASAP, and since that fateful day I've never used them, no matter how much the vendor says they've improved.
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Colt 45 - the original point and click interface
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I second Phils notes with regards restores. Not had the corruption of the database, however trying to get a restore to work with those Agents is almost impossible.
I'd go out and get one of the backup/compression tools (like Idera SQL Safe or Imceda Litespeed) and dump the db's to disk and from there to tape.
This also helps in the event of having to go to last nights backup, it's already on the machine, you don't have to wait for the tape restore to happen (a huge problem when it comes to larger databases and busy daytime network traffic).
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Thank you for sharing your experiences. I guess I'll stay away from the backup software and save some money.
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