Unknown backups occurring nightly

  • We are running SQL Server 2005 and I noticed that almost every night, ALL of the databases on the server are being automatically backed up to C:\Temp\ \MSSQLSERVER.

    We are running out of space on our c:\ because of these backups and they need to be either disabled or relocated to a different drive, but I cannot find the source process that is backing up the dbs.

    There are no backup devices that are setup for this location, no maintenance plans and no jobs that backup here (currently SQL Agent is disabled).

    The backup is being logged in the SQL Server log with a source=Backup (example below).

    Any ideas as to how to determine the source of this backup?

    Thanks for all of your help

    i.e.

    Date6/30/2008 9:37:54 PM

    LogSQL Server (Current - 7/1/2008 11:30:00 AM)

    SourceBackup

    Message

    Database backed up. Database: msdb, creation date(time): 2005/10/14(01:54:05), pages dumped: 1292, first LSN: 1894:264:201, last LSN: 1894:352:1, number of dump devices: 1, device information: (FILE=1, TYPE=VIRTUAL_DEVICE: {'msdb_00__db8e4aa2_5e0a_477a_914a_18deac5f32d8_'}). This is an informational message only. No user action is required.

  • the 'virtual device' usually means sone third party software is being used to backup the databases, perhaps legato or veritas.

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  • George,

    Thank you very much for your response. I truly appreciate it.

    That was my suspicion but I didn't have any way of verifying it. I will look into that further.

  • If you can't figure out what application is causing the backups, you should be able to set up a profile trace overnight and filter the TextData on '%backup%'.

    Make sure to have at least TextData, HostName, Login, User, and the Application Name columns. This will help point you in the right direction.

    Kyle

  • Thanks Kyle. That was very helpful. If I can't find the source application, I will definitely run that trace.

  • Hi,

    Also check whether any maintenance plan is created in some other remote server to take backup of this server .

  • May be the backup job is scheduled in remote machine check it and

    if they are using 3rd party tool vertias backup then u can make the presence of this system.

  • Thanks for all of the informative responses. I resolved the issue thanks to your help. The db's were being backed up via Veritas Backup Exec.

  • Anyone: How can we get Backup Exec to STOP backing up the databases? It completely destroys my strategy of Weekly Full, Daily Differential, Hourly Log.

    In some cases I can remove BUILTIN\Administrators, but in others the 3rd party app "requires" this group, and Backup Exec merrily screws up my SQL backup chain.

    Mike Hinds Lead Database Administrator1st Source BankMCP, MCTS

  • Mike Hinds (7/3/2008)


    Anyone: How can we get Backup Exec to STOP backing up the databases? It completely destroys my strategy of Weekly Full, Daily Differential, Hourly Log.

    In some cases I can remove BUILTIN\Administrators, but in others the 3rd party app "requires" this group, and Backup Exec merrily screws up my SQL backup chain.

    To 'hot' backup sql databases backupexec uses a sql agent, which is an add on to the veritas tool. It must be possible to disable this agent without affecting the rest of files being backed. up Likewise there must be options within veritas to select what types of backup to do and to which databases. you need someone familiar with the veritas front end, though hopefully it is fairly intuitive.

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  • Mike Hinds (7/3/2008)


    Anyone: How can we get Backup Exec to STOP backing up the databases? It completely destroys my strategy of Weekly Full, Daily Differential, Hourly Log.

    george sibbald (7/3/2008)


    To 'hot' backup sql databases backupexec uses a sql agent, which is an add on to the veritas tool. It must be possible to disable this agent without affecting the rest of files being backed. up Likewise there must be options within veritas to select what types of backup to do and to which databases. you need someone familiar with the veritas front end, though hopefully it is fairly intuitive.

    Exactly. My network admins who install Veritas are ignorant of the method to control the "feature". The Veritas/Symantec website suggests avoiding SQL backups and letting Veritas have its way -- not acceptable.

    Mike Hinds Lead Database Administrator1st Source BankMCP, MCTS

  • First you should grant the appropriate rights to any of the Windows administrators that need access to SQL (for application purposes or otherwise) ... that will enable you to drop the builtin/administrators login (and presumably BackupExec will no longer have rights to do the backups).

    If BackupExec is sharing an account with another user then the above won't help, you should request that it run under it's own Windows account.

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