Backup\Recovery of MSDE, SQL2000, SQL2005 databases using the "Data Server Manager" for 4.X

The information in this article applies to:

SOAPware 4.x running a MSDE, SQL2000, or SQL2005 database:

This article contains information on:

Database Backup                                    

Database Restore

Restore to New Location

Data Server Manager

Data Backup Media Rotation

Backup

Backing up databases is a relatively easy process; by following the steps listed in this section you can make a backup of your SOAPware and SQL databases.

Note: backups can be made with the Data Server Manager while users are in SOAPware.

1. Our first step is to start the Data Server Manager and Login.
2. Once the Data Server Manager interface is loaded, Click the Backup tab.
3. By default, all of the databases should be selected. Unless there is a special circumstance, SOAPware, Inc. always recommends backing up all of your SOAPware databases.
4. Set the Backup Location by Clicking the Select Folder button and selecting the location where you would like the backup to be stored. Now that we have selected the databases that we would like to backup and we have set a backup location we are ready to perform a backup.
5. Click the Backup Button and the process will begin.
6. A progress indicator will display the database operation progress. The amount of time that it will take to backup the databases will depend on the size of the databases and computer speed. During the backup process, DO NOT end the backup task, shut down, or reboot the computer. A typical backup can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours (average backup speed is 2 minutes for every 100MB). When the process is finished you will see a Backup Complete message.

• Your backup files now exist in the folder selected in step 4, we highly recommend that you copy them to another media
   

Scheduling Backups
 

Scheduled Backups can be easily scheduled from the Backup tab.

1. While on the Backup tab, select the database that you would like to backup
2. Check the box next to "Schedule"
3. Click the … button.
4. On the Schedule Job screen, you can select to schedule the job to run one time or recurring.
5. Click the Change button if you wish to change the frequency.
6. Click OK until you are back at the main Backup Tab.
7. Click the Schedule button. You will receive "Job successfully scheduled" notice, click OK.
8. Click the Scheduled Tasks Tab, you should now see your "scheduled backup". Until the backup runs it will show as False in the "Last Run Result" column. After the schedule task has ran it should show "True". 

• We recommend scheduling database backups to run at a minimum of once per day.
  If you do have a job that fails for some reason, the Data Manager will notify you  

Restoring Databases

Restoring databases is also an easy process; by following the steps in this section you can easily restore a backup of your SOAPware and SQL Databases.

Before beginning the restore process, make sure that everyone is logged out of SOAPware on all machines.

1. Our first step in restoring databases is to Start the Data Server Manager and Login.
2. Once the Data Server Manager interface is loaded, Click the Restore tab.
3. Select the SOAPware databases that you would like to restore. Typically you will want to restore all of the SOAPware databases. The current version of the Database Manager does not support restoring System databases. For this reason, only select the SOAPware databases.
4. Click the Restore Button and select the drive and folder that contains the backup set.
5. You will then receive an Overwrite Database warning. Keep in mind that restoring a database will overwrite any existing database information. If this is what you would like to do, Click Yes. If not, Click No.
6. A progress indicator will display the database operation progress. The amount of time that it will take to restore the databases will depend on the size of the databases and computer speed. During the restore process, DO NOT end the restore task, shut down or reboot the computer. A typical restore can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours.
7. After the restore is complete, click Actions > Add SOAPware Account, this adds the Program login back to the databases.

Restoring to New Location.

Before beginning the restore process, make sure that everyone is logged out of SOAPware on all machines.

1. Our first step in restoring databases is to Start the Data Server Manager and Login.
2. Once the Data Server Manager interface is loaded, Click the Restore tab.
3. Select the SOAPware databases that you would like to restore. Typically you will want to restore all of the SOAPware databases. The current version of the Database Manager does not support restoring System databases. For this reason, only select the SOAPware databases.
4. Click the Restore Button and select the drive and folder that contains the backup set.
5. Click the 'Use Specificied Location' and select the folder where you would like it to restore.
6. You will then receive an Overwrite Database warning. Keep in mind that restoring a database will overwrite any existing database information. If this is what you would like to do, Click Yes. If not, Click No.
7. A progress indicator will display the database operation progress. The amount of time that it will take to restore the databases will depend on the size of the databases and computer speed. During the restore process, DO NOT end the restore task, shut down or reboot the computer. A typical restore can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours.
8. After the restore is complete, click Actions > Add SOAPware Account, this adds the Program login back to the databases.

Data Manager

The SOAPware Data Server Manager is used to backup and restore the SOAPware databases and perform other maintenance tasks.

Logging into the Data Server Manager

Before you can use the Data Server Manager, you must first login. In the Server Login box, select the server that is hosting your SOAPware databases. Example, running the program from the server we will select (local) for the server. The server could also be listed as YOURCOMPTUERNAME\SWData. Enter the sa account login information or another User ID and Password that has Administrative privileges. Please consult your Network Administrator for the login information. By default, the sa account DOES NOT have a password assigned to it. After you enter the Server name, User ID, and Password information Click OK; the Data Server interface will then load. The main Data Server Manager interface consists of several tabs. The Backup Tab displays the SOAPware and SQL database backup information; as a well as Schedule and Backup Location information. The Scheduled Tasks Tab contains a list of Scheduled Tasks, and information regarding when it was last ran and when it will run again. You can also: Delete, Edit, View History Logs, and manually run a Scheduled Task.

Data Rotation and Off Site Storage

It's very important to have a system in place that allows you to rotate the storage tapes or disks so you always have backups for each day for at least the previous week. In addition, it is very beneficial to “pull” a tape or disk and place it in a lock box or off site storage on a regular basis to insure that an undiagnosed problem is not recycled, and thus backup information is corrupted on all your tapes.

It is also important to have an off site storage in case of a catastrophic event. It is not unreasonable to backup daily. If you don't have a backup system in place, talk to your local system administrator about setting up a backup system for your data. Remember – it’s not a question of IF a piece of hardware will fail, but WHEN, so plan for the worst and backup your data!