SQL Backup Master Help

SQL Backup Master is capable of backing up remote databases hosted by SQL Server instances across the network.

 

Overview

 

SQL Backup Master uses a BACKUP DATABASE command to back up SQL Server databases.

 

This allows for backups across the network as long as the remote SQL Server instance and SQL Backup Master have read/write access to the same temporary backup storage folder.

 

Configuring Remote Backups (Walk-Through)

 

IMPORTANT: When configuring remote backup scenarios, some steps take place on your Microsoft SQL Server host computer while others occur on the computer running SQL Backup Master.

 

On the SQL Server host machine:

 

1.Create a folder on the SQL Server host machine (for example, "c:\SQLBackupMaster") for holding temporary database backup files.

2.Create a share for the above folder, assigning it whatever name you prefer (e.g. "SQLBackupMaster").

3.For now, grant the "Everyone" group "Full Control" over the folder and the share created above (more on this below).

 

On the SQL Backup Master host machine:

 

1.On the SQL Backup Master host machine, start SQL Backup Master and create a backup job and use the Choose SQL Server button to select the networked SQL Server instance, then select the databases you wish to back up.

2.Add at least one backup destination.

3.Click the Backup job settings link that appears in the lower left-hand corner of the Database Backup Editor window.

4.On the General tab of the Backup Job Settings window, enter the UNC path to the share created above (e.g. "\\server\SQLBackupMaster") into the Temporary Backup Folder field.

 

Once the steps above are completed, save the backup job and then attempt to run it manually.

 

Permissions

 

In the example walk-through above, we created a shared folder to house temporary database backup files on the SQL Server host machine and then granted the "Everyone" group full control over it.

 

In some environments you may wish to restrict share access to a specific user (or set of users). To do so, first remove the "everyone" group from the temporary database backup folder and then add the Windows user account you specified in Step 4 in the walk-through above. Again, assign this user "full control" over the folder. Next, grant full read and write permissions to the Windows account currently in use by SQL Server (to check this, navigate to the services console and check the Log On tab associated with SQL Server).

 

Be sure to test your backup jobs carefully after altering temp folder permissions.

 

Troubleshooting

 

If your remote database backup job isn't running to successful completion, start by checking the job's backup log files. The logs should contain an entry that explains the problem.

 

Some errors you may encounter include:

 

1.Login failed for user - If you receive this error message immediate after the database backup begins, it indicates that the Windows user account specified in step 4 of the walk-through above does NOT have access to the database(s) being backed up. We recommend that you specify a Windows account that is a member of the System Administrator role in SQL Server.

2.Access to path denied - This error can occur if the Windows user account specified in step 4 of the walk-through above lacks full control over the temporary backup share (see SQL Server machine step 2).

3.Cannot open backup device - Please see our Troubleshooting Operating System Error 3 article for a thorough discussion of this problem.