1. Backup and Restore your SQL Server Database
The most important part of the job!

2. Corruption User error Malicious activity Disaster recovery
Why do we back up?
Corruption
User error
Malicious activity
Disaster recovery

3. How do we recover a database that is borked?
Restore from the last known good backup.
- Microsoft

4. How do we know if the last known backup is good?
Test. Your. Backups.
- Basically every data professional

5. The business makes the rules
Recovery Point Objective (RPO)
Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
Service Level Agreement (SLA)

6. Recovery point objective (RPO)
How much data are we prepared to lose?

7. Recovery time objective (RPO)
How much time do we have to recover?

8. Defining a restore strategy, redux
How much data can we lose? (RPO)
How long will recovery take? (RTO)
Can we actually do this? (SLA)

9. How do we back up our databases?
Copy database files
File snapshots
Database snapshots
Built-in BACKUP command
SQL native backup

10. What is the one true backup method?
SQL Server native backup
(the built-in BACKUP command)

11. Corollary to the one true backup method
A SQL Server native backup is only as good as its restore
(the built-in RESTORE command)

12. What does a SQL Server data file look like?
Lots of 8KB data pages
All objects are stored in pages
Each page has a header
8 contiguous pages = extent

13. What does a SQL Server transaction log look like?
Virtual log files
Log Sequence Numbers
Active / inactive
Circular
Recovery model
etutorials.org

14. So what is a recovery model then?
Full recovery model
Bulk-logged recovery model
Simple recovery model

15. All transactions are fully logged The log file grows until cleared
Full recovery model
All transactions are fully logged
The log file grows until cleared
Transaction log backups needed
Allows point-in-time recovery

16. Bulk-logged recovery model
Bulk operations minimally logged
The log file grows until cleared
Transaction log backups needed
Some point-in-time recovery

17. Log file cleared after every commit No transaction logging at all
Simple recovery model
Log file cleared after every commit
No transaction logging at all
No point-in-time recovery possible

18. What types of backups can I take?
Full backup
Differential backup
Transaction log backup
File / filegroup backup*
Partial backup*

19. Full backup (BACKUP DATABASE)
Copy of entire data file
Active portion of the log
Full, bulk-logged, simple

20. Full backup (BACKUP DATABASE WITH COPY_ONLY)
Copy of entire data file
Active portion of the log
Does not affect differentials
Full, bulk-logged, simple

21. Extents changed since last full Active portion of the log
Differential backup
Extents changed since last full
Active portion of the log
Each differential is bigger
Not affected by COPY_ONLY
Full, bulk-logged, simple

22. Transaction log backup
Active portion of the log
Full and bulk-logged only

23. Log backups are incremental Differential backups are not
Backup chain
Log backups are incremental
Differential backups are not

24. Restore a full backup (can include a COPY_ONLY backup)

25. Restore to a point in time (basic method)
Restore a full backup (may include a COPY_ONLY backup)
Restore all transaction logs
Use WITH NORECOVERY option

26. Restore to a point in time with differential backups
Restore a full backup*
Restore latest differential backup
Restore all transaction logs
Use WITH NORECOVERY option

27. Automation is the new black
Automate your backups
ola.hallengren.com / dbatools.io / minionware.net / ** SQL Agent **
Notify on failure, not success
Automate your restore script
Steve Stedman (bit.ly/automateScript)

28. Copy backups securely off-premises Test restores frequently
Best practices
Back up with CHECKSUM
Copy backups securely off-premises
Test restores frequently
DBCC CHECKDB is your friend
Automate all the things

29. SQL Server Maintenance Wizard Do use:
Tips and tricks
Don’t use:
SQL Server Maintenance Wizard
Do use:
Ola Hallengren’s Maintenance Solution
MinionWare Backup

30. Show Me The Money
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