Backup Central

Bear with me, as I'm not sure I fully understand my own situation, which
makes asking for advice about it ... more interesting.

We use Websense to filter employee access to the Internet. It saves it's
logs in a MS SQL database, which I dutifully backup using the NW MS SQL
Module. All well and good. Now I have a request to restore an older copy
of this database. I've done such restores before, but this database is
apparently a "partitioned" database, meaning that MS SQL will
automatically create a new database once it reaches a certain size.

So, I have "wslogdb70", for example. And also "wslogdb70_1",
"wslogdb70_2", etc. All apparently created by MS SQL once the DB reaches a
certain size.

My question: do I need to recover all 3 files, if I (well, my DBAs) need
to do a search? My boss seems to think so. He says that the database is
actually spread across those 3 files, and so all 3 must be recovered..
Now, I am recovering a copy of the database, of course, and putting it in
a different folder. I take it I will need to do 3 recovers, one for each
file? Or will the NW SQL Module be smart enough to realize that all 3
files constitute one database, and recover all 3 at once?

Luckily, all 3 databases are one the same backup tape.

So: do I need to do 3 recoveries, or just one recovery of "wslogdb70" and
the NW SQL Module will automatically bring "_2" and "_3" along with it,
since those other 2 files also constitute part of the makeup of
"wslogdb70"?


--
Michael Leone
Network Administrator, ISM
Philadelphia Housing Authority
2500 Jackson St
Philadelphia, PA 19145
Tel: 215-684-4180
Cell: 215-252-0143
<mailto:michael.leone < at > pha.phila.gov>

Hi Michael,

I use the Networker SQL module often to restore copies. I don't think you even have the option to restore single data files or "partitions", I believe all files are required. The NW SQL client will automatically perform the recovery of all the parts at the same time.

One quick tip that might save you some time: go into options -> restore options, and select "Disable log mark display". If not checked, there can be a long pause modifying the properties of the DB before the restore. The length of the pause depends on the size of your index for this client.

Jason


-----Original Message-----
From: EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER < at > LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU] On Behalf Of Michael Leone
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 11:03 AM
To: NETWORKER < at > LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU
Subject: EXTERNAL: [Networker] Q about restoring a "partitioned" MS SQL DB

Bear with me, as I'm not sure I fully understand my own situation, which makes asking for advice about it ... more interesting.

We use Websense to filter employee access to the Internet. It saves it's logs in a MS SQL database, which I dutifully backup using the NW MS SQL Module. All well and good. Now I have a request to restore an older copy of this database. I've done such restores before, but this database is apparently a "partitioned" database, meaning that MS SQL will automatically create a new database once it reaches a certain size.

So, I have "wslogdb70", for example. And also "wslogdb70_1", "wslogdb70_2", etc. All apparently created by MS SQL once the DB reaches a certain size.

My question: do I need to recover all 3 files, if I (well, my DBAs) need to do a search? My boss seems to think so. He says that the database is actually spread across those 3 files, and so all 3 must be recovered..
Now, I am recovering a copy of the database, of course, and putting it in a different folder. I take it I will need to do 3 recovers, one for each file? Or will the NW SQL Module be smart enough to realize that all 3 files constitute one database, and recover all 3 at once?

Luckily, all 3 databases are one the same backup tape.

So: do I need to do 3 recoveries, or just one recovery of "wslogdb70" and the NW SQL Module will automatically bring "_2" and "_3" along with it, since those other 2 files also constitute part of the makeup of "wslogdb70"?


--
Michael Leone
Network Administrator, ISM
Philadelphia Housing Authority
2500 Jackson St
Philadelphia, PA 19145
Tel: 215-684-4180
Cell: 215-252-0143
<mailto:michael.leone < at > pha.phila.gov>

AFAIK, Jason is correct.

This is the downside about a NW module. It helps the BU admin in handling easy backups and restores but NW does not really have a "SQL view". It does not even give you the chance to restore a single db/log file even if this is all a SQL admin would need.