SQL Safe helps you create backup policies, restore policies, and log shipping policies to address different needs. Through backup policies, for example, you can define backup maintenance plans across multiple SQL Server instances in your enterprise.
What is a backup policy?
A backup policy consists of:
- A list of databases you want to back up
- A set of backup operations to be performed on those databases
- A set of schedules according on which the backups will be performed
You can choose to run the associated backup jobs on a specific schedule, to run them on demand (execute the jobs manually from the Management Console), or to define a policy for monitoring purposes only. You can then monitor the status of each backup policy from the Management Console.
How do you incorporate backup strategies in your policies?
Implementing a policy requires that you have a clear understanding of your backup strategy. To determine a backup strategy to use, consider the following recovery model requirements.
Model | Full Backup? | Differential Backup? | Transaction Log Backup? | File or Filegroup Backup? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Model | Required | Optional | N/A | N/A |
| Full Model | Required | Optional | Required | Optional |
| Bulk-Logged Model | Required | Optional | Required | Optional |
What constitutes a good backup strategy?
Consider using all four backup types to maximize your recovery and minimize your data loss. A basic backup strategy fulfills the following needs:
- The creation of regularly scheduled database backups
- The creation of frequent differential backups between full backups
- The creation of transaction log backups more frequently than differential backups
Database backup creation depends on server activity and data sensitivity. Ensure you implement a strategy that allows you to create policies that back up both user databases and system databases.
How do backup policies help you?
Backup policies allow you to plan and schedule your SQL Server backup maintenance. You can monitor operations success and failures from a single point of contact in the Management Console.
The process of updating your maintenance plans becomes quick and easier by allowing SQL Safe to schedule a set of backup operations across your SQL Server instances.
How do you access the Backup Policy wizard?
The SQL Safe Backup Policy wizard allows you to create backup maintenance plans across your enterprise. SQL Safe creates SQL Server jobs for the specified backups in your policy.
You can access the Backup Policy Wizard from the top options located on the Home, Policies, Instances, and Databases tab.
Once you open the backup wizard, you can define the following settings:
- Name the policy
- Select the databases you want to back up
- Select backup options
- Specify where you want to store the backup files
- Schedule when and how often you want the backup to occur
- Get email notifications about the policy status