The Options tab of the Backup Policy wizard allows you to enter the backup types and options for each operation included the backup policy.

For each backup operation you include in the backup policy, you can select compression, encryption, verification options, and set additional advanced options.

What types of backup can you choose?

You can specify one, two, or the three types of backup: Full, Differential, Log.

Select which backup types you want for your policy and provide the respective settings. Take into account that the options for each backup type are hidden until the backup type is selected. For more information about backup types, view Understand backup types.

What types of compression algorithms are available?

SQL Safe provides the following compression algorithms: 

  • None
  • IntelliCompress, optimize for size (iSize)
  • IntelliCompress, optimize for speed (iSpeed)
  • Levels 1, 2, 3, 4

Backup operations using Level 1 complete fastest but achieve the least amount of compression. Level 4 achieves maximum compression but the backup operation may take longer.

For more information about backup compression, see How to choose compression and encryption.

What types of encryption algorithms are available?

SQL Safe provides the following encryption algorithms:

  • None
  • AES (128-bit)
  • AES (256-bit)

If your SQL Server environment requires FIPS compliance, use the AES encryption option. For more information, see Ensure FIPS compliance.

When you choose to encrypt an archive, you must designate a password. For security reasons, SQL Safe does not store this password. Ensure you remember or take note of the password you select.

What additional options are available?

For each type of backup you select, you can also specify the following advanced options:

Options
Description
Verify the integrity of the backup when complete
  • Verifies the integrity of the backup set data files created by this backup.
  • Verifying the backup helps identify potential issues that could occur when restoring these data files.
Generate maps
  • Generates maps containing metadata for each database included in your backup file. This option is selected by default.
  • Depending on the number of transactions completed since your last backup, generating maps may impact the performance of the backup operation.
  • Generating maps is optional, but it should exist in the backup file for InstantRestore to accept and restore that file.
  • SQL virtual database can attach SQL Safe backup files without the metadata, but the data files improve SQL vdb performance during creation of the virtual database.
  • For more information, see Recover objects using SQL virtual database.
Include database logins in backup file
  • Copies SQL login information for the selected databases, including credentials and privileges, when the backup files are written.
  • To help ensure the security of your SQL Server database, SQL Safe encrypts the login information. This option is available for full backups only.

Thread Count

  • Allows you to specify how many threads you want SQL Safe to use to distribute the backup operation across multiple processors on the target SQL Server computer. Use this setting to optimize backup performance.
  • When the resultant backup file is restored, SQL Safe uses the same thread setting to ensure consistent performance.
  • Select Auto to have SQL Safe determine the optimal thread count for your environment.

Transaction Log

  • Removes all completed transactions and inactive entries from the transaction log after SQL Safe finishes the backup. This option is only available for Log policies.

Checksum: Generate

  • Generates a checksum for the backup file.

Checksum: Ignore Errors

  • If checksum errors are encountered, this option determines that SQL Safe should continue to backup process.

Backup: Copy only

  • Specifies a copy-only backup. This is a copy of the database and cannot be used as part of a restore strategy. 
  • Allows to take a "snapshot" backup of your database without interfering the LSN (log sequence number) order of your backup strategy.

Backup: Read-write filegroups

  • Specifies a partial backup, which includes the primary filegroup and any read-write secondary filegroups. 
  • If this option is selected, the Generate metadata option (Generate maps for InstantRestore and SQL virtual database) will be disabled.
  • Backups created with the read-write filegroups option cannot be used by SQL virtual database to create virtual databases.

After defining your setting in this tab, click Next to Select your backup locations. 

SQL Safe is a high-performance backup and recovery solution for your SQL Servers. Learn more > >
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