SQL Backup Master Blog

STEP 1 – CREATE AND SET UP YOUR DROPBOX ACCOUNT

On the homepage of Dropbox.com, select the Sign Up tab from the banner at the top of the website. Enter your personal credentials, select Create an Account, then choose the Dropbox package that best fits your needs.

Dropbox will ask you a few questions in order to best tailor your experience, then will bring you to the Download page. Select Download Dropbox to begin the application’s installation process. 

STEP 2 – CONNECT TO SQL SERVER

Open SQL Backup Master and click on Backups in the navigation center, then click the New Backup button. The Database Backup Editor window will appear. Within this window, select the Choose SQL Server tab. The Connect to SQL Server window will then be brought up.

In the field labeled Server Name, select or enter the name of the SQL Server instance that you are connecting to. Common examples include:

• (local)\SQLExpress – Specifies the default SQL Express named instance on the local computer.

• (local) – Specifies the local SQL Server installation (without an instance name).

• Server1\SQLExpress – Specifies the default SQL Express names instance on a remote computer named “Server1”.

• Server1 – Specifies an unnamed SQL Server instance on a remote computer named “Server1”.

(TIP: Another way to find local and remote SQL Server instances is by using the drop-down arrow of the Server Name field.)

Click the Test SQL Connection button to test your connection, then hit OK. Click the Save button in the bottom left of the window

A window labeled Windows user account configuration notice will appear. Click Yes to progress.

Check the box marked Run Backup with a Specific Windows Account and then enter your authentication credentials (you should only need to enter this information once per backup).

STEP 3 – SELECT DESIRED DATABASES TO BACK UP

After connecting to a SQL Server instance, the Database Backup Editor window will show available databases in the left-most column, labeled Source. Select the databases you want to back up as part of this job.

(TIP: You can also check the box labeled Back up all Non-System Databases, enabling the automatic backup of all new databases created on the target SQL server in the future.)

STEP 4: ADD A DROPBOX BACKUP DESTINATION

Select the Add button under the window header labeled Destinations. This will bring up a window displaying all of the possible backup destinations for your SQL database:

Double-click the selection box labeled Dropbox (or click once, then press the Select button) to choose Dropbox as your backup destination.

The Dropbox Destination Settings window will appear. This is where you will authorize a connection to Dropbox.

Press the Authorize Now button and then input your account information on the Dropbox login page. Signing in to your Dropbox account through the browser window will bring up the following window:

Click the button labeled Allow, then you will then be redirected to the SQL Backup Master App Verification web browser page, where an authorization code will be provided.

Press the Copy button to copy the code to your clipboard. In SQL Backup Master, the Authorization Code window will prompt you to paste the authorization code that you have just copied.

Once the code has been pasted into the text field, click Ok to see if the authorization process was successful.

Use the Test button in the bottom left corner of the Dropbox Destination Settings window to make sure you have a successful connection to your Dropbox account, and select Ok, then hit the Ok button on the main window to continue. 

Back at the bottom right corner of the Database Backup Editor window, click on the Save icon to establish your backup destination.

STEP 5 – RUN THE BACKUP JOB

Back in the main window of the application, select your newly created backup job and hit the Back up now button to begin backing up to your Dropbox.

If the backup job does not complete successfully, please review the log file for further details on the failure.

Due to security changes at Google, SQL Backup Master’s integration with Google Drive has been updated to use a narrower authorization scope. After this change, SQL Backup Master will only have access to files and folders that it created.

SQL Backup Master users that are sending backups to Google Drive must upgrade to SQL Backup Master v7.3 and re-authorize any existing Google Drive connections. Integrations that are not re-authorized will stop working on July 31st, 2024.

How To Proceed

• Upgrade to SQL Backup Master v7.3. If you’re using a previous major version release, you’ll need to upgrade your license prior to upgrading the product installation.
• Start SQL Backup Master and identify backup jobs that connect with Google Drive.
• Re-authorize each Google Drive connection by editing them and clicking the Authorize button.
• Save the backup job.

Once done, test all affected backup jobs to ensure expected functionality.

Additional Considerations

SQL Backup Master 7.3 should continue to prune, recover, and otherwise process backup files created with previous product versions.

However, SQL Backup Master 7.3 will no longer have access to shared Google Drive files or folders. As such, we recommend you don’t use Google Drive’s sharing features when storing database backups.

Also, if you store SQL Server backups in Google Drive folders that were not created by SQL Backup Master, then SQL Backup Master 7.3 will no longer have access to them.

Key Metric Software is proud to announce the release of SQL Backup Master 7 – a new, major version of our award-winning SQL Server backup and recovery software.

This version includes a user interface overhaul, a powerful new dashboard view, greatly improved 7-zip compression support, and much more. See the what’s new page for details.

SQL Backup Master 7 is available for immediate download.

SQL Backup Master 6.3 includes a new feature called backup chain validation that is responsible for generating “invalid backup chain detected” messages. This article describes the goal and function of this feature.

Introduction

The goal of backup chain validation is to warn users when other third-party applications could potentially interfere with the SQL Server backup chain. Specifically, when a differential or transaction log backup is started, SQL Backup Master analyzes SQL Server’s backup history table and checks to see if the most recent backup was also created by SQL Backup Master.

If a possible conflict is detected, SQL Backup Master writes an “invalid backup chain detected” message to the log. Such messages can be logged as warnings (default) or errors, depending on backup job settings.

Note that copy-only database backups are ignored during backup chain validation, as they don’t interfere with the SQL Server backup chain. See below for details.

Why does it matter?

Why is it a potential problem if another software tool is also taking SQL Server backups?

In some cases, it won’t be. If a third-party software tool is taking copy-only SQL Server backups, those will not interfere with the backup chain so SQL Backup Master won’t warn about them. If you need to occasionally take a backup outside of SQL Backup Master (i.e. via SQL Server Management Studio, etc.) then creating a copy-only backup is a good option.

However, some third-party products will create snapshot backups (via Volume Shadow Copy Service) that will invalidate the backup chain. A broken backup chain can then trigger other backup errors or interfere with future restore efforts.

Troubleshooting

SQL Backup Master makes it easy to see if another software tool is taking snapshot database backups.

To start, select the Reporting tab in the main product window and select the Backup history report. Starting at around the time when SQL Backup Master logged the “invalid backup chain detected” message, look for preceding report entries with the Is Snapshot field set to True.

You can also look for report entries with a Backup set field that is not set to “SQL Backup Master backup”.

Solutions

If you’ve used the information above to determine that snapshot database backups are triggering this message, there are several possible solutions.

One option is to disable the SQL Writer system service, which VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) uses to create SQL Server database snapshots. To do so, Run services.msc, find the SQL Server VSS Writer service, stop it, and configure it to start up manually.

Another possible option is to determine which third-party backup solution is taking SQL Server database snapshots and configure it not to do so. For example, if you’re using Azure Backup you may wish to avoid using the SQL Server backup agent. Other Virtual Machine or cloud-based solutions may have backup features that can be similarly configured.

Finally, if you determine that the “invalid backup chain detected” messages logged by SQL Backup Master are not relevant for your environment, you can ignore them (if they’re configuring as warnings) or disable them entirely in the Database tab of the backup job settings window.

Once the problem is resolved, we recommend taking a manual full backup of any affected databases in SQL Backup Master to reset the backup chain.

SQL Backup Master v6.3 has arrived, and extends our (already excellent) S3 support by adding explicit support for IDrive e2 and a Custom S3-Compatible backup destination.

The new custom S3 backup destination makes it easier than ever to target a wide range of S3-compatible services and devices – including on-premises storage systems such as:

• MinIO – A high-performance, S3 compatible object store built for large scale AI/ML, data lake and database workloads.
• Cloudian Hyperstore – An S3-compatible object storage platform designed to manage limitless amounts of data in a cloud-native data format.
• Ceph – A unified storage service with object, block, and file interfaces from a single cluster built from commodity hardware components.
• LeoFS – An open source distributed object storage system and a highly available, distributed, eventually consistent storage system.
• Riak S2 – An easy-to-operate, readily available, and highly scalable storage software optimized to store objects.

This new release also exposes additional service endpoints for Wasabi backup destinations, offers improved support for Azure blob service versions, and more.

SQL Backup Master v6.3 is available for immediate download.

With the release of SQL Backup Master v6.1.586.0, users running SQL Backup Master within an Amazon EC2 instance can now authenticate to their S3 buckets using an IAM role.

Use of this authentication option eliminates the need to enter S3 credentials into SQL Backup Master. Instead, SQL Backup Master will use the IAM role assigned to the EC2 instance to access your S3 buckets.

Configuring the EC2 Environment

If you haven’t already, you’ll need to establish an IAM role within AWS. To do so, create an EC2 role within the AWS IAM console, and grant it the AmazonS3FullAccess permission.

Then attach this new role to the EC2 instance that will be hosting SQL Backup Master.

For details on using an IAM role to grant EC2 application permissions, please see the following article:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/id_roles_use_switch-role-ec2.html

Configuring SQL Backup Master

To verify that we’re using the credentials provided by the IAM role, install SQL Backup Master (v6.1.586.0 or later) on your EC2 instance.

Now, add an Amazon S3 backup destination and select the Authenticate using EC2 IAM role option. Leave the access key and secret key fields blank.

Finally, run your database backup job to ensure that backups to S3 are working as expected.

Key Metric Software has released SQL Backup Master 6 – a new major version of our SQL Server database backup tool.

New features include backup reporting (with optional scheduling and email delivery), webhook notifications, support for SQL Server 2022, and much more.

For a visual overview of what’s new, please see:

https://www.sqlbackupmaster.com/features/whatsnew

Download the new SQL Backup Master v6 release here:

https://www.sqlbackupmaster.com/download

STEP 1 – ONEDRIVE ACCOUNT CREATION AND SETUP

To create a OneDrive account, navigate to Microsoft OneDrive’s homepage , here you will select the Sign In button and input your Microsoft account information. After logging in to and verifying your Microsoft account, you will be taken to OneDrive.

STEP 2 – CONNECT TO YOUR SQL SERVER

Navigate to the Backup and Restore window of SQL Backup Master and select the New Backup button. In the Database Backup Editor window that shows up, click the Choose SQL Server button. The Connect to SQL Server window will then be brought up.

In the field with the label Server name, enter the name of the SQL Server instance that you are connecting to, or use the drop-down tab of the field to select one. Common examples include:

• (local)\SQLExpress – Specifies the default SQL Express named instance on the local computer.
• (local) – Specifies the local SQL Server installation (without an instance name).
• Server1\SQLExpress – Specifies the default SQL Express names instance on a remote computer named “Server1”.
• Server1 – Specifies an unnamed SQL Server instance on a remote computer named “Server1”.

Hit the Test SQL Connection button to test your connection to the SQL Server, then select OK.

STEP 3 – SELECT DATABASES TO BACK UP

After you’ve connected to a SQL Server instance, the Database Backup Editor window will appear, showing available databases in the Source column. Select the database(s) you want to back up as part of this backup job.

Enabling the Back up all non-system databases option will back up all new databases created on the targeted SQL Server automatically in the future. 

STEP 4 – ADD A BACKUP DESTINATION

Click on the Add button under the Destinations window header. This will pull up a window displaying all of the possible backup destinations for your SQL Database:

Double-click the selection box labeled OneDrive. 

The OneDrive Destination Settings window will appear. This is where you establish and authorize a connection with your OneDrive. Select the Authorize Now tab and input your Microsoft login information on the new window. 

Signing in to your Microsoft account and verifying your information through the browser will ask you to confirm SQL Backup Master’s access to your OneDrive. Select Yes to continue.

Next, you will be presented with a unique authentication code that will be required to continue verification. Copy this code with Ctrl + C, then exit out of the browser window. Back in SQL Backup Master, paste your authentication code into the text field of the Authorization Code window and click Ok.

Use the Test button on the OneDrive Destination Settings window to make sure you have successfully connected to your OneDrive account, then select Ok.

At the bottom right corner of the Database Backup Editor window, click on the Save icon to finalize your backup destination. 

STEP 5 – RUN THE BACKUP

In the main window of the application, select your newly created backup job and click the Back up now button to begin the backup for your OneDrive files.

If the backup job does not successfully complete, review the log file for further details.

STEP 1 – Backblaze Account Setup

Navigate to the Backblaze B2 home page, then click the Sign Up button to begin account creation. Backblaze B2 will only require an email address and password to access the bucket creation page. 

STEP 2 – CONNECTING TO A SQL SERVER DATABASE

Head to the Backup and Restore window of SQL Backup Master and select New Backup. In the Database Backup Editor window that appears, select the Choose SQL Server tab. The Connect to SQL Server window will then be brought up:

In the Server name field, enter the name of the SQL Server instance that you are connecting to. Common examples include:

• (local)\SQLExpress – Specifies the default SQL Express named instance on the local computer.
• (local) – Specifies the local SQL Server installation (without an instance name).
• Server1\SQLExpress – Specifies the default SQL Express names instance on a remote computer named “Server1”.
• Server1 – Specifies an unnamed SQL Server instance on a remote computer named “Server1”.

Another way to find local and remote SQL Server instances is by using the drop-down arrow of the Server name field.

Click the Test SQL Connection button to test your connection, then hit OK.

STEP 3 – Select Databases to Back Up

Once you’ve successfully connected to a SQL Server instance, the Database Backup Editor window will show the available databases in the left-most column labeled Source. Select the databases you want to back up as part of this job.

You can also check the Back up all non-system databases Backblaze. Doing this will back up all new databases created on the target SQL Server in the future automatically. 

STEP 4 – Add a Backblaze B2 Backup Destination

Select the Add icon under the window header labeled Destinations. This will bring up a window displaying all of the possible backup destinations for your SQL Database:

Double-click the Backblaze B2 selection box. 

The Backblaze B2 Destination Settings window will appear. This is where you authorize a connection to Backblaze B2. This window asks for your Access key, Secret key, and Bucket. Input the required information, then use the Test button to make sure your information is correct and the connection is successful. 

Back at the Database Backup Editor window, use the Save icon to finalize your backup destination. 

STEP 5 – RUN THE BACKUP

In the main window of the application, select your newly created backup job and click the Back up now button to begin the backup for your OneDrive files.

If the backup job does not successfully complete, review the log file for further details.

STEP 1 – AMAZON S3 ACCOUNT CREATION AND SETUP

To create an Amazon S3 account, navigate to Amazon’s AWS home page and select Get Started with Amazon S3, and click on the Create a new AWS account button below the login field. Follow the instructions given by the AWS Console to get your account set up. 

STEP 2 – CONNECTING TO YOUR SQL SERVER

In SQL Backup Master’s main window, navigate to the Backup and Restore tab and select the New Backup button. In the Database Backup Editor window that is brought up, select the Choose SQL Server option. You will then see  the Connect to SQL Server window: 

From here, enter the name of the SQL Server instance that you are connecting to in the Server name field. Common examples of this include:

• (local)\SQLExpress – Specifies the default SQL Express named instance on the local computer.
• (local) – Specifies the local SQL Server installation (without an instance name).
• Server1\SQLExpress – Specifies the default SQL Express names instance on a remote computer named “Server1”.
• Server1 – Specifies an unnamed SQL Server instance on a remote computer named “Server1”.

Another option of finding local or remote SQL Server instances is to use the drop-down arrow of the Server name field.

Hit the Test SQL Connection button to test your connection to your server, then hit OK.

STEP 3 – SELECT DESIRED DATABASES TO BACK UP

Now that you’re connected to a SQL Server instance, the Database Backup Editor window will show up with the available databases in the Source column. Select the databases you want to back up as part of this job out of this list.

You can also use the Back up all non-system databases check box. Enabling this feature will back up all new databases created on the target SQL Server automatically. 

STEP 4 – CHOOSE S3 AS YOUR BACKUP DESTINATION

Under the Destinations header of the Database Backup Editor window, click the Add button to add a destination. This will make a new window appear, displaying all compatible backup destinations: 

 Select Amazon S3 by double-clicking the section box labeled Amazon S3.

The Amazon S3 Destination Settings window will then appear. This is where you will configure the credentials for your S3 account.

Pull up the Security Credentials page of your Amazon S3 account to find your Access key and Secret key. Copy (ctrl+c) and paste (ctrl+v) both your Access key and Secret key in the first and second text fields respectively, then input your preferred Bucket in the third. Your Bucket must already exist in your S3 storage account to be successfully used by SQL Backup Master.

After you have input your keys and bucket, and tailored your Amazon S3 Destination Settings to your preferred configuration, use the Test button to make sure everything is set up properly. Hit Ok after the test has completed successfully. Then select Ok on the Amazon S3 Destination Settings window to continue. 

Back at the bottom right corner of the Database Backup Editor window, click the Save icon to finalize and establish your backup destination. 

STEP 5 – RUN THE BACKUP

Back in the main window of the application, select your newly created backup and hit the Back up now button to begin backing up your SQL Server to Amazon S3.

If the backup job does not complete successfully, please review the log file for further details.