How to backup clustered servers

  • Hello,

    We have recently installed 2 clustered Windows 2003 Server Enterprise Edition running MSSQL 2005. I am wondering how I would perform backups on the DB's? I have search the web on this but have not come across much.

    Your help is appreciated!

    CA

  • You perform backups of the DB's exactly the same way you would on a non clustered system.

    Jeffrey Williams
    “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

    ― Charles R. Swindoll

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  • We have similar set ups on site. Jeffery is right, clustered or not, the backup configuration is the same.:cool:

  • we use Veritas and Evault for backups and it's cluster aware

  • So can I setup backup/maintenance jobs on both servers that are identical? Will I be able to connect to the SAN drive on both servers in the cluster even though 1 server will not be the cluster owner?

    Thanks for your help !

  • chalexander (6/23/2008)


    So can I setup backup/maintenance jobs on both servers that are identical? Will I be able to connect to the SAN drive on both servers in the cluster even though 1 server will not be the cluster owner?

    Thanks for your help !

    It's not correct. On Clustered environement we need to setup the job with the Virtual Name. If the failover happen then it will take care of the things.

    Manoj

    MCP, MCTS (GDBA/EDA)

  • You will setup the backup job on the virtual server not the physical servers. If failover happens the job will still be available when the other node is active.

    Gethyn Elliswww.gethynellis.com

  • How would I access the virtual SQL server?

  • chalexander (6/24/2008)


    How would I access the virtual SQL server?

    Virtual server name is the name of the server who is the mediator netween your nodes. Suppose virtual server name is SSV100 and the nove name is SSDA01 and SSDA02. You could be using the same naming convention as you were used for standalone server.

    \\SSV100\D$\Backup\DBname\

    Manoj

    MCP, MCTS (GDBA/EDA)

  • Hi All,

    What actually happens, if your active node fails over during a backup?

    Does the running backup abort?

  • not sure, but my guess is yes

    every time we had a failover we had to restart apps because they lose connection to the sql server. in this case the backup server will lose a connection

  • Hi SQL Noob,

    your answer for Third Party tools (Backupserver) makes sense, because during a failover SQL gets disconnected. I was wondering maybe there is special handle if SQL makes internal backups....

  • when a failover happens the mssql service stops on one node and starts on the other. my guess is that it kills any connection and running process

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