In Vembu OnlineBackup, restoring SQL Server database is quite simple. The following are the steps to be followed while restoring SQL Server data:
Step 1: Selecting the Backup Name.
From the list of available backups select the SQL Server backup name to proceed further for restoring the data. By default the backup server for the Vembu OnlineBackup will be Vembu Cloud.
Step 2: Select backups for database restore
This step allows you to choose the database name and full backup version based on timestamp. This step has the following options:
SQL Server Instance Name - The SQL Server Instance name is a non editable field here and this will display the instance name from which SQL Server database was configured.
o Database Name - The database name will also be a non-editable if the backup schedule is configured with single database. If the schedule is configured with multiple database, then you need to choose the database name here from the choice box. Select the database you wish to restore.
o Show backups after - From the drop-down list, select the most recent full backup version based on timestamp to restore from. Once recent full backup version is selected and the "Load" button is clicked, Vembu OnlineBackup will list all the backups for the selected database, starting with the one selected in this field.
o Load - Based on the values selected in the fields"Database Name" and "Show backups after", clicking this button will list the files backed up to the backup server (available for restore).
Vembu OnlineBackup | Admin User Guide | MS SQL Server Backup and Restore 81 o Select Files for database restore - This section will list the files based on what
timestamp/version and database name you choose in the "Database Name" and "Show backups after" fields. Here is where you have to select the files to be restored from the server. Vembu OnlineBackup displays a list of the backups available for the database selected in "Database Name", starting from the first backup selected in "Show backups after" fields.
This section has the following fields:
Type - The type of backup, value can be either FULL/DIFFERENTIAL/TRANSACTION-LOG backups.
Backup Date - The time at which the backup was transferred to backup server.
File Name - The name of the file backed up.
Step 3: Confirm Restore Settings
Encryption Password - This is the default backup password provided for the Other Backups in the Global Encryption settings. Please make sure to provide the correct password to restore the mails/database as the files will not be restored without providing the correct password.
Restore Location - You can specify the location to which the backup data has to be restored. The restored files will be saved in this location, but with their full original path – that way you know exactly where these files were in the first place!
Important : You must always provide an empty directory for the local restore location. There must be sufficient space in the directory to store the files; also ensure that the local restore location does not exceeds the 256 character limit.
Step 4: Configure SQL Server Database Restore
This step helps you to restore backed up data right into the SQL Server database. By default, the option "After restoring data from my backup server, continue to restore the data into the SQL Server database" is selected. Alternatively you can also choose the option "Restore data from backup server only (I will separately run Vembu OnlineBackup through the 'locally restored files' to restore the SQL Server database later)".
This step has the following option:
o Restore as database - This drop-down list allows you to select an existing database, or, if you want to restore to a new database, type in a new database name. For a new
database, the database will be created and then the contents of the backup will be restored. For an existing database, the contents of the backup will be restored over the existing database.
Vembu OnlineBackup | Admin User Guide | MS SQL Server Backup and Restore 82 o Overwrite the existing database - If you are restoring backups and you want to
overwrite an existing database with a different name, you must use choose this option. If you are restoring backups to the same database, this option is not required.
o Restore the database file as - This displays the name and location of the physical files used when you restore your database. The location and names of the files are stored in the backup file, so if you are restoring to a different server or to a different database name, you must change these options for both the data file and the transaction log file.
o Recovery State - The Recovery state panel determines the state of the database after the restore operation. The default behavior is:
Leave the database ready to use by rolling back uncommitted transactions. Additional transaction logs cannot be restored.(RESTORE WITH RECOVERY) Note: Choose this option only if you are restoring all of the necessary backups now.
Alternatively, you can choose either of the following options:
Leave the database non-operational, and do not roll back the uncommitted transactions. Additional transaction logs can be restored. (RESTORE WITH NORECOVERY)
Leave the database in read-only mode. Undo uncommitted transactions, but save the undo actions in a standby file so that recovery effects can be reverted. (RESTORE WITH STANDBY)
StandBy file – A file required by SQL Server to track incomplete transactions if the backup is restored in standby state. The Standby file is used to undo uncommitted transactions when the database is brought fully online. If the Standby file does not exist, it will be automatically created.
Restore and Cancel Button - Once all the options are set and the files and folders to be
restored are selected, click on the Restore button to restore the files and folders. The status of the restore operation will be displayed on a pop-up browser window.
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Troubleshooting Tips
Error: SQL Server restores fails with one of the following errors.
i. "SQL Server restore aborted because of error in getting the virtual device backup configuration. Check your database properties. Check your database properties."
ii. "Exclusive access could not be obtained because the database is in use."
Cause: If more than one connection was opened to the database which was configured
for restore.
Solution: Make sure that no other user is connected to that database. If possible close the connections open to that database.
Solution: Alternatively, change the database property to single user mode before restore operation and change the database property again to multiple user mode after restore.
Error: Restore SQL Server Database page is not listing database available to restore.
Cause: This would occur, if Vembu OnlineBackup client configurations are recovered
from backup server through Client Disaster Recovery option.
Solution: Please re-enter the SQL Server Instance login details in "SQL Server Connection Properties" page through the menu "Additional Backups -> SQL Server" once and then try to restore the SQL Server database.
Error: Restore SQL Server Database page is not listing databases available to restore.
Cause 1: If backed up SQL Server databases are
Unavailable(OFFLINE/DETACHED/DELETED) to perform restore. Hence logical file name is not available to perform restore.
Cause 2: Check if backed up SQL Server databases contain any special characters like forward slash(/), backward slash(\), question(?), colon(:), asterisk(*), lesser than(<), greater than(>), pipe(|) and plus(+).
Solution: Download the backed up SQL Server database dump file to client machine using
the following steps:
I. Restore SQL Server database locally in backup server through the menu "Customer Management->Customer Name->Client Name->List of Backups->Actions->Proceed to Restore Backup" and transfer the restored data to client machine.
or
I. Choose the option "Restore data from backup server only (I will separately run Vembu OnlineBackup through the 'locally restored files' to restore the SQL Server later)" in "Confirm SQL Server Restore Settings" of the Restore SQL Server Database page to restore the SQL Server database locally in client machine.
II. After downloading the files from server, use second option (I have previously restored data from my backup server to a local folder. I now want to use this data to restore the SQL Server database) in Step 0 of the "Restore SQL Server Database" page to restore the SQL Server database.
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Limitations
If a backup schedule is configured with multiple database(s) (in client-side) only a single database is allowed to restore to the SQL Server at a time.
You must always provide an empty directory for the local restore location. There must be sufficient space in the directory to store the files; also ensure that the local restore location does not exceeds the 256 character limit.
Previous schedules cannot be restored in the client side after changing the dump location.
While restoring the deleted MS SQL Server database(s), the same cannot be restored directly to the MS SQL Server. First the deleted database(s) should be restored locally in the client machine and then should proceed with the 'Plugin local restore' feature to restore the deleted MS SQL Server database(s).
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