Is it possible to take an existing MS SQL database backup from the Windows components backup and restore the database onto a new server with a fresh copy of MS SQL?
Scenario:
-Offsite client server with MS SQL 2014
-File backups run daily and Windows Components selected for SqlServerWriter and all databases selected
-Spin up a fresh server at a different client site with the same server OS and version of MS SQL 2014
How would one restore the databases from the existing urbackup client to this new MS SQL server? The original urbackup client would still be live and connected to the urbackup server.
We would like to perform monthly restoration tests to ensure the clients that their databases can be restored offsite for disaster recovery.
Any feedback/suggestions would be appreciated as I have not found a similar scenario posted in the forums so far.
Since you are not restoring to the same client the backup was from you will have to MANUALY restore the backed up .MDF/.LDF files to the off-site SQL server.
There are a few caveats: The target SQL Sqerver must be at the same or newer SQL version and patch level as the source SQL Server is at.
You will need administrative access to the target SQL Server’s Data Folder(s), and have “sa” level access to the target SQL server.
You will need to pre-configured the correct authentication modes, and add your users in SQL for logon on the off-site SQL server.
SQL Infrastructure such as linked servers will need to be re-created prior to DBs being used.
Queries and Stored procedures that specified SQLServer Names (or named instances) may need to be modified if the off-site SQL server is not a clone of the “on-site” server.
(You may wish to use an “image” (VHD) backup of your on-site server to create an off-site Virtual server to avoid issues)
1 - from the urbackup Web UI navigate to latest windows components backup.
2- select the SQL Server Writer folder, scroll to the bottom and select download folder as ZIP
This can take a while, (if your SQL backup is too large you can copy the folder directly from the Backup storage repository)
3- Copy the .mdf / .ldf files to you target SQL Server’s Data folder(s)
4- in Management Studio on the target SQL server right click on Databases and choose “attach databases”
5- add the .mdf files you copied to the target server’s data folder(s)
The DBs should be attached with the correct names and settings.