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Difference Between Maintenance Backup Plan vs. Creating Backup Device

  • June 21, 2004 at 6:32 am

    #83246

    Hello All,

    Can some please explain to me in "Layman's Terms" the difference between creating a Backup Maintenance plan for backups vs creating a backup device and scheduling a job to backup to that device? Also, which one is better for restoring.

  • June 21, 2004 at 7:43 am

    #511206

    Basically....nothing.

    They both do the job. However, with a maintenance plan YOU, the DBA, really don't know what's happening. You have just told SQL Server - backup my database(s) and log(s) this often and do these types of backups. Then SQL Server does it all 'behind the scenes'.  If you need to make changes to the plan, you have to start all over.

    Doing it manually, you are in full control of what is done and how. You create the dump devices, you decide what type of backup to run and when. If you need to change a part of the backup plan, you can do so without changing the whole thing.

    There are exceptions, but I have seen that new DBAs tend to use the maintenance plans and more 'seasoned' DBAs tend to develop their own plans.

    -SQLBill

  • June 21, 2004 at 8:30 am

    #511257

    Thanks Bill

    I did realize how easy it is to edit a manual vs a maitenance plan. I appreciate the info. I guess you would recommend creating a manual bkup. Is that a good assumption?

    I started out doing them manually, but I saw another DBA use the plan and I know he has much more experience than I do. So I wasn't sure which way was better. I'd prefer to create a bkup device and then create a scheduled job to backup to that device.

    Ronnie

  • June 21, 2004 at 10:55 am

    #511286

    I prefer to do them manually. And as I said, there are exceptions - some very experienced DBAs use maintenance plans, some very inexperienced DBAs create their own plans.

    I believe you have more control doing them yourself.

    Storytime: I DBA a third-party database. The software includes a pre-made maintenance plan. This plan was causing problems for me. When I asked the vendor about turning it off and doing it myself, they said they "created it because most companies that use this software don't have DBAs who know what they are doing." So they make it simple for the company to do the maintenance functions. But since I knew what I was doing they gave me the directions for turning off the maintenance plan.

    -SQLBill

  • June 21, 2004 at 11:23 am

    #511292

    Thanks Bill. I appreciate the info.

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