With databases regarded as mission critical in most companies, the ability to back up Microsoft SQL Server 2005 data when required and within the specified backup window is vital. To help you choose from the available configuration options and backup and recovery procedures, HP has conducted extensive laboratory tests to determine best practices. This paper discusses those test results so that you can understand the options and the limitations of implementing backup and recovery using Linear Tape-Open (LTO) tape, disk-to-disk, and virtual tape devices. The audience for this paper is HP users in an enterprise environment currently running or planning to run SQL Server 2005.
The paper discusses:
- Best practice recommendations encompassing configuration, design, and deployment
- Backup and recovery recommendations for the integration of Data Protector Software and Microsoft SQL Server 2005
- Backup and recovery recommendations for the LTO tape, the disk-to-disk, and the virtual tape methodologies
- The impact on database performance and throughput for each of the methodologies: LTO tape, disk-to-disk, and virtual tape
- General recommendations for selecting which backup and recovery method to use
- Supporting configuration recommendations for HP servers and for HP StorageWorks 8100 Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA8100) disk array
- Recommendations for the use of parallel backup and restore operations, and the impact of multiple streams and device concurrency on overall backup performance
By leveraging the recommendations and best practices, administrators can shorten backup windows and efficiently load the server, thereby reducing cost and maximizing the use of hardware and personnel resources. |
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