Unknown Physical_Device_Name Path for SQL Server Backups

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Unknown Physical_Device_Name Path for SQL Server Backups

lmarkum

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March 3, 2017 at 2:11 pm

#401723

While cleaning up and documenting backup processes in an environment that is new to me, I have come across several machines that have a physical_device_name path in msdb.dbo.backupmediafamily that looks like the below. Each time the backup job runs, the GUID part of this changes. No one can tell me what is creating these backups or where they are going. I don't see any third party backup apps or agents on the machines where I see these types of entries and they aren't from native SQL Server backups. Those are going to Data Domain devices. There are very recent backups written to these unknown targets. Could these paths be backup destinations that no longer exist, such as decommissioned storage devices?
{17B43C53-C61E-4991-A915-F2E89DA8A465}6
{17B43C53-C61E-4991-A915-F2E89DA8A465}1
{17B43C53-C61E-4991-A915-F2E89DA8A465}3
{17B43C53-C61E-4991-A915-F2E89DA8A465}2
{17B43C53-C61E-4991-A915-F2E89DA8A465}4
{17B43C53-C61E-4991-A915-F2E89DA8A465}5
The next set of rows from physical_device_name might look like:
{F2ADA9B2-FB98-469B-852A-695298B4A545}3
{F2ADA9B2-FB98-469B-852A-695298B4A545}1
{F2ADA9B2-FB98-469B-852A-695298B4A545}2
{F2ADA9B2-FB98-469B-852A-695298B4A545}6
{F2ADA9B2-FB98-469B-852A-695298B4A545}5
{F2ADA9B2-FB98-469B-852A-695298B4A545}4

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Lynn Pettis SSC Guru Points: 442467 More actions · Answer 1

Lynn Pettis

SSC Guru

Points: 442467

March 3, 2017 at 2:58 pm

#1931637

Snapshot backups by a SAN product maybe?

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736478 More actions · Answer 2

I would guess there's a Data Domain process that uses the VDI interface to take a backup. However, the backup isn't going to a file, it's going to some identifier that the product uses.

You don't necessarily need an agent to get these. I'd talk with the Data Domain people.

lmarkum SSCertifiable Points: 7989 More actions · Answer 3

Lynn Pettis - Friday, March 3, 2017 2:58 PM
Snapshot backups by a SAN product maybe?

Thanks for the reply Lynn. I wondered the same thing so I checked the SQL Server Error Log for messages like "I/O Frozoen..." which usually occur for SAN snapshots, but I didn't see any of those messages.

lmarkum SSCertifiable Points: 7989 More actions · Answer 4

Steve Jones - SSC Editor - Monday, March 6, 2017 8:50 AM
I would guess there's a Data Domain process that uses the VDI interface to take a backup. However, the backup isn't going to a file, it's going to some identifier that the product uses.
You don't necessarily need an agent to get these. I'd talk with the Data Domain people.

Thanks Steve. There is already a native process that writes backups to the Data Domain. If I understand you correctly though, the Data Domain application/appliance could be initiating these backups and without an agent installed on the box. Is that what you're saying?

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736478 More actions · Answer 5

lmarkum - Monday, March 6, 2017 9:19 AM
Steve Jones - SSC Editor - Monday, March 6, 2017 8:50 AM
I would guess there's a Data Domain process that uses the VDI interface to take a backup. However, the backup isn't going to a file, it's going to some identifier that the product uses.
You don't necessarily need an agent to get these. I'd talk with the Data Domain people.
Thanks Steve. There is already a native process that writes backups to the Data Domain. If I understand you correctly though, the Data Domain application/appliance could be initiating these backups and without an agent installed on the box. Is that what you're saying?

yes

Super Cat SSCertifiable Points: 7334 More actions · Answer 6

These are normally VM Backups that also backup the DB or something like COMMVAULT.