Chapter 4. Data Protection for SQL Server backup
4.1 GUI overview
4.1.1 Menu bar
The Data Protection for SQL Server menu bar has these itens and menu list functions:
File
Exit Data Protection for SQL Server GUI Tool
Note: By default, the Inactivate tab is not displayed in the main window. To display the Inactivate tab you must check the option Inactivate tab in the View menu bar option.
Edit Data Protection for SQL Server configurations. The default configuration settings are contained in the tdpsql.cfg file.
View
Refresh the tree window and display the Inactivate tab.
Utilities
Change the Tivoli Storage Manager password, set SQL Server login information, or show server information for both the Tivoli Storage Manager server and the SQL Server.
Help
Obtain Data Protection for SQL help to assist with GUI tasks, Tivoli Storage Manager Web access, and information about Data Protection for SQL.
Edit menu
Use the Edit menu to change Data Protection for SQL configuration settings.
You can modify the Data Protection for SQL Server configuration file. If a configuration file was not specified on launching the GUI tool, the file tdpsql.cfg is used. If no configuration file is found, a default file is created which contains all the default settings for the parameters, except for LASTPRUNEDATE value. To specify a different configuration file, start the GUI from the command line with the /configfile parameter.
Click Configure under Edit to display the Data Protection for SQL Settings dialog with the following five tabs and their parameters:
General tab
This tab displays the preferences page for general configuration parameters.
The General tab is shown in Figure 4-2.
Figure 4-2 General tab
In this tab you can modify the following settings:
SQL Server
Specifies the SQL server that Data Protection for SQL logs on to.
From SQL Server
Specifies the SQL server that backup objects were backed up from. This parameter is necessary only when the name of the SQL server to restore to, as determined by the SQL Server parameter, is different from the name of the SQL server that the backup objects were created from.
SQL Authentication
Specifies the authorization mode used when logging on to the SQL server.
– Integrated (default)
Specifies to use a trusted connection and allow Windows to authenticate the logon.
– SQL User ID
Specifies to use SQL User ID security. With this type of security, the administrator provides the logon ID and the password to logon to Data Protection for SQL.
Wait for Tape Mounts for Backup or Restore
Check this box if you want Data Protection for SQL Server to wait for tape media (if used) to be mounted for backup and restore operations. When backups are stored on tape, it is likely that backup and restore operations will need to wait until the required tape volume mounts.
This setting specifies whether Data Protection for SQL Server should wait for the media mount or stop the current operation. Wait for tape mounts is the default, which is usually appropriate in an environment with an automated tape library. This option is only used on legacy operations.
Use VSS Backup as the default Backup method
Check this box to set VSS Backups as the default backup method. This parameter is grayed out if the Tivoli Storage Manager for Copy Services Microsoft SQL VSS Integration Module is not installed. Remember that VSS backups can only be restored using VSS. If you use VSS as the default, the Local DSMAGENT Node name parameter must be specified (as shown in Figure 4-6, “VSS Backup tab” on page 109).
Estimate % Change for Differential Backup
Specifies the value for the estimated change to database pages for differential backups.
This estimate is used by Data Protection for SQL to determine if sufficient storage space is available for the backup. The value specified here becomes the default value for all differential backups.
Performance tab
This tab displays the preferences page for performance configuration parameters.
The Performance tab is shown in Figure 4-3.
Note: By default, SQL Server listens on TCP/IP port 1433. If the SQL Server is listening on a TCP/IP port other than 1433, you must explicitly configure it for the SQL Server and From SQL Server parameters above. For more information, see 3.2.10, “Specifying Data Protection for SQL preferences” on page 86.
Figure 4-3 Performance tab
In this tab you can configure the following settings:
DP Buffers (3 by default)
Specifies the number of communication data buffers Data Protection for SQL uses when transferring data between Data Protection for SQL and the Tivoli Storage Manager server.
Each buffer is the size specified by the TDP Buffer Size option. Note that this option applies to Legacy backups only.
DP Buffer Size (1024 by default)
Specifies the size of the buffers used by Data Protection for SQL to transfer data to the Tivoli Storage Manager server. Note that this option applies to Legacy backups only.
Stripes (1 by default)
Specifies the number of data stripes (1 to 64) to use in a Legacy backup or Legacy restore operation. The default value is 1. Note that VSS operations do not support multiple stripes.
As a result, the default value for VSS operations is 1.
SQL Buffers (0 by default)
Select a number (0 to 999 ) that specifies the number of communication data buffers Data Protection for SQL uses when transferring data between the SQL Server and Tivoli Storage Manager server. Each buffer is the size specified in the TDP Buffer Size option.
SQL Buffer Size (1024 by default)
Select a number (64 to 4096) that specifies the size of the buffers used by Data Protection for SQL to transfer data from the SQL Server to Data Protection for SQL.
Logging
This tab displays the preferences page for logging configuration parameters.
The Logging tab is shown in Figure 4-4.
Figure 4-4 Logging tab
In this tab you can configure the following settings:
Log File Name (tdpsql.log by default)
Specifies the name of the file where you want Data Protection for SQL to write activity log information.
Prune Old Entries (selected by default)
Check this box to enable pruning of the activity log.
– Number of days to keep (60 by default)
Use this field to specify the number of days (0 to 9999) worth of entries to keep in the activity log. Data Protection for SQL prunes entries greater than this number when you initialize this application.
– Prune Now
Click Prune Now to prune the activity log immediately.
Regional
This tab displays the preferences page for regional configuration parameters The Regional tab is shown in Figure 4-5.
Figure 4-5 Regional tab
In this tab you can configure the following settings:
Language (American English by default)
Specify the language to use for displaying the GUI and Data Protection for SQL
– English (United States) (This is the default).
– Brazilian Portuguese – Chinese (Simplified) – Chinese (Traditional) – French
– German – Italian – Japanese – Korean – Spanish
The language you specify does not become effective until you exit and restart the GUI.
Date Format (mm/dd/yyyy by default)
Click one of the following buttons for the date format of your choice.
– dd: Day of the Month – mm: Month of the Year
– yyyy: YearTime Format (hh:mm:ss by default)
Time Format (hh:mm:ss by default)
Click one of the Time Format buttons to select a format for displaying time.
– hh: Hours (24-hour day) – mm: Minutes in an hour – ss: Seconds in a minute
Number Format (xxx,xxx.dd by default)
Click one of the Number Format buttons to select a format for displaying numbers. The choices on the display represent several ways to place the decimal, comma, and spaces.
VSS Backup
This tab displays the preferences page for VSS Backup configuration parameters.
The VSS Backup panel is shown in Figure 4-6.
Figure 4-6 VSS Backup tab
In this tab you can configure the following settings:
Default Backup Destination (TSM server by default)
Note: To use a non default language you must install the corresponding language pack . See “Installing Data Protection for SQL additional language packs” on page 75 for the installation procedure.
Select the default storage location for your backups. You can select from the following storage locations:
– TSM Server
The data is stored on Tivoli Storage Manager server storage only. This is the default.
– Local
The backup is stored on local VSS disk only.
– Both
The backup is stored on both Tivoli Storage Manager server storage and local VSS disk.Note that this parameter is only valid when using the VSS Backup method.
Local DSMAGENT Node name (blank by default)
Specify the Tivoli Storage Manager node name (agent node) of the local client machine that performs VSS operations and moves the VSS data from local shadow volumes to Tivoli Storage Manager server storage during Tivoli Storage Manager server backups.
This parameter must be specified for VSS operations to be performed. See Chapter 4,
“Data Protection for SQL Server backup” on page 103 for instructions on how to configure this node.
Remote DSMAGENT Node name (blank by default)
Specify the Tivoli Storage Manager node name (agent node) of the remote client machine that moves the VSS data from local VSS disks to Tivoli Storage Manager server storage during off-loaded backups. This option is only required if you are using an off-loaded backup server. See Chapter 3, “Installation and configuration” on page 57 for instructions on how to configure this node.
View menu
The view menu gives you the following options:
Refresh tree view
By refreshing the GUI, you can:
– clear any selections.
– collapse the tree to the level you have highlighted.
– collapse corresponding tab trees even if they are not currently displayed (e.g., refreshing the Backup Databases tree also refreshes the Backup Groups/Files tree) – display new backup operations in the restore trees.
Inactivate tab
Click this item to add the tab control to the backup and restore windows, allowing you to inactivate SQL databases in Tivoli Storage Manager storage.
Utilities menu
The Utilities menu provides you the following options:
Change TSM Password
This dialog prompts you to enter the old password, then enter the new password twice, in Note: If you simply move back and forth between tabs without refreshing, the current selections or tree view are kept.
SQL Server login settings
The SQL Server Login Information dialog allows you to select the following:
– Use Windows Authentication (selected by default)
– Use SQL Authentication; if you select this option, you need to fill in a user id (sa by default) and password (blank by default).
Figure 4-7 on page 111 shows the SQL Server Login Information screen.
Figure 4-7 SQL Server Login Information
Show TSM server information
This window displays the following Connection Information:
– Nodename
– Server Network Host Name
– Tivoli Storage Manager API Version – Server Name
– Server Type – Server Version – Compression Mode – Domain Name – Active Policy Set
– Default Management Class
Figure 4-8 on page 111 shows the tivoli Storage Manager server information screen.
Figure 4-8 TSM Server information
Note: SQL Server login permission requirements for Data Protection for SQL Server is discussed in 2.5.4, “Data Protection for SQL Server security considerations” on page 52.
Show MS SQL Server information
This window displays the following SQL Server information:
– SQL Server Name – Version
– Cluster
Help Menu
The Help Menu provides:
Data Protection for SQL Help This dialog launches online help.
TSM Web Access
This dialog launches a Web browser to view Tivoli Storage Manager information online.
About Data Protection for SQL
This dialog launches version, release, and modification level information about Data Protection for SQL.