question about DR (recovering a sql server)

  • Jpotucek (9/13/2011)


    Thinking if I tell them to excuded .ldf and .mdf files EXCEPT the ones for the system databases I would be OK.. !?

    Only if you like your instance maybe starting or maybe not starting, depending on whether the file backup got a consistent set of files or not.

    Typically in that case the first thing you'd have to do is rebuild the master database (its an option on setup, but not an install), then start restoring backups (including the system databases)

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • I am with Gail. A backup of the system, and SQL binaries, assumes that those are static. But those binaries get information from the system database in order to start. If you want a clean image, could you not keep a base image of Windows w/ SQL installed and then just apply database backups?

    Or are there other software items installed?

  • There is no other software installed - dedicated Database Server.

    For the Server Backup, they ARE backing up the SQL Binaries but excluding ALL .mdf and .ldf files on all volumes - I'm guessing this is the problem. I was thinking that I either need them to NOT exclude the system data .mdf and .ldf files or have offline copies of these files saved off to copy into place so that the Instances will start.. Once the Instances are started - restore the databases..

  • They need at least one copy of master, model, msdb to start. It might give errors with the various databases, but once it starts, you can then do a restore of master, then msdb and restore your user dbs.

    Worst case, right now you ought to be able to rebuild master, then start the server, then restore server.

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