20 replies to this topic

[Storm]

Hi Guys
I want some software that can take a sql databse from one machine, and restore it to another, every hour or so,
anyone aware of any?
Ed

[+Chicane-UK]

Is it a Microsoft SQL Server..? Because if so, you can just use logshipping - it's built in and specifically designed for this purpose

[Storm]

Yes it is..
any info on that?

[+Chicane-UK]

MSDN / BooksOnline is your friend!

http://msdn.microsof...y/ms190640.aspx

[Storm]

Thanks!
looks like it doesnt support express!

[+Chicane-UK]

Ah - I didn't realise you were using SQL Express

You could still do this with a combination of Windows scheduled tasks and Jobs within SQL Server but it'd be pretty cludgy.. What you'd want to do would be doing transaction log backups rather than full database backups which would mean the file you needed to copy over was smaller and would take less time to restore.. that's what (unsurprisingly) log shipping does

[Storm]

Just putting the full SQl on my test machines now, will give it a go
Thanks

[+Chicane-UK]

Sorry - I forgot to say.. In terms of what you use, it depends on how you want to use the 'backup' database - is it to be used as a standby system, or are you just going to be doing reporting off the database or subsets of the data?

[Storm]

backup server!

[+Chicane-UK]

OK - logshipping would do exactly what you want. The only thing you need to bear in mind is that, AFAIK, logshipping will only be backing up the contents of the database. Any other things you change (such as adding new users, etc) will not come across in the logshipping - so any such changes that you make to one server, you'll need to do to the other.

[Storm]

Brill.
Thanks for your help.
Just reconfiguring SQL on the 2nd server and i should have it set up then

[+Chicane-UK]

Cool - good luck

[Storm]

My only question..
It asks for a network path to the backup folder on the primary server.
These 2 machines are on seperate networks with no VPN etc.
is there a way around this>?

[+Chicane-UK]

Ah - that's going to be an issue It expects to be able to copy the file over Windows File Sharing

[Storm]

hmm
strange one,
when i setup VPn connection it connects but i loose my external connection