SQL Backup Master Help

SQL Backup Master offers  a range of options affecting how it interacts with SQL Server during backup operations.

 

•Database timeout - The number of seconds SQL Backup Master will wait when connectivity to SQL Server. This value is also used for normal database command operations, although some long-running commands (such as restore operations) will override it.

•Add CHECKSUM option to database backup statement - If page checksums are turned on, you can use this option to validate them during backup.

•Run RESTORE VERIFYONLY after backup - Runs a verification-only restore process after the backup completes (more information here).

•Copy-only backup - Creates a backup that does not interfere with the existing SQL Server backup chain. A copy-only backup cannot serve as a differential base or differential backup and does not affect the differential base (more information here).

 

Backup Chain Validation

 

If multiple software applications are triggering the creation of full backups for the same SQL Server database(s), problem may occur on creation of subsequent differential and/or transaction log backups. This can result in backup log error messages like the following:

 

Failed to create backup: Cannot perform a differential backup for database “XYZ”, because a current database backup does not exist.

 

Enabling the backup chain validation will cause SQL Backup Master to validate that it is the exclusive creator of all backups in the SQL Server backup chain. It does so by querying the SQL Server backup history and confirming that it created the most recent prior backup.

 

For more information on troubleshooting backup chain invalidation, please see:

 

https://www.sqlbackupmaster.com/support

 

Advanced Options

 

SQL Backup Master provides advanced users the option of passing arguments (parameters) to the backup command that it constructs at run-time.

 

You should use this feature ONLY if you fully understand the implications of any arguments you specify and are prepared to test them thoroughly.

 

SQL Backup Master recognizes a specific subset of backup command line arguments (unrecognized arguments are ignored):

 

•COPY_ONLY

•COMPRESSION

•NO_COMPRESSION

•SKIP

•NOSKIP

•FORMAT

•NOFORMAT

•BLOCKSIZE

•BUFFERCOUNT

•MAXTRANSFERSIZE

•CHECKSUM

•NO_CHECKSUM

•REWIND

•NOREWIND

•UNLOAD

•NOUNLOAD

•ENCRYPTION

 

For details on the purpose of each of these arguments, see the documentation for your specific SQL Server version. Some arguments are available only in specific versions of SQL Server.

 

Multiple arguments should be separated by commas. For example:

 

COMPRESSION, BLOCKSIZE = 65536, MAXTRANSFERSIZE = 4194304

 

Custom backup command arguments are applied to all backup types (full, differential, and log).