Surprisingly, I still see some of my customers using Sql BackTrack to backup their Sybase ASE databases, even with simple backup strategy such as "dump database"… Sql BackTrack is a great third tool package to complete the "backup/restore tools" provided by Sybase ASE. But Sql BackTrack license cost can be very expensive. In this hard economic area, you can help your company to cut costs by skipping Sql BackTrack. How ? By using only new backup features Sybase implemented this last decade, and some work !
When I discuss with my customers the reasons why they use Sql BackTrack, they answer:
1°) "on the fly" backup compression capability.
2°) restore objects DDL (tables indexes views etc…) from backups files.
3°) databases are saved directly to TSM thanks to the OBSI module (additional cost).
For each key requirements mentioned above, Sybase has a solution or a workaround for it !
1°) "on the fly" backup compression capability: Yes, Sybase ASE can do it !
As of ASE v12.0.0.8, Sybase backupserver allows backups compression "on the fly".
2°) Restore objects DDL from backups files: Yes, Sybase ASE can do it !
As of ASE v12.5.4, Sybase introduced "Archive Database". Archive database feature give the ability to recover a single object (like a table, stored procedure etc…), even data, from a database dump, so you don’t need to reload the all database to recover the lost object. Read the document "Archive Database Access in ASE" from ISUG to learn more about it.
3°) Databases are saved directly to TSM: Yes, Sybase ASE can do it !
As of ASE v15.5, Sybase supports integration with TSM (IBM Tivoli Storage Manager) for automation of database backups and restore functions. For Sybase backupserver, TSM acts as just another dump device and all existing Sybase backupserver commands are supported. Note that feature requires an ASE license option. Read the document "SYBASE ASE ADVANCED BACKUP SERVICES" from Sybase to learn more about it.
As you can read, Sybase provides all necessary tools to ensure data availability and security in a cost effective manner. So why use high cost backup software ?
Does anyone know of a way to have Sybase backups encrypted without using SQL Backtrack?
Thanks
Comment by nickc — May 7, 2010 @ 4:15 PM
SQL BackTrack for Sybase(SBT or Back and Recovery manager for databases or BRM) does much more than just backup and recovery.
The main new supported features are like Disaster recovery solution, duplicate database creation with/without device creation, master database recovery template, missing device recovery, database device recovery etc.
Some of the features are given below:
1. Backup Recovery Policy Manager (BRPM) facilitating audit/compliance efforts & centralized monitoring of enterprise B&R environment
2. Apart from TSM, SQL BackTrack for Sybase(SBT) also supports Netbackup and Networker Storage Manager. Both database backup/recovery directly from Storage Manager.
3. SBT keeps history of backups and allows point in time recovery (recovery upto the specified time by managing sequence of transaction log backups) and point of backup recovery.
Also allows to create policies to retain any backup.
Apart for Database backup, it also takes backup of ‘history of backups’ to recover all in DR situation on same or different host.
4. SBT allows staged backups (latest backups on the disk for a. reduce backup time b. faster recovery and later moving to storage manager).
5. SBT can encrypt whole backup by specifying single encryption key.
Also supports encryption feature provided by Sybase.
6. SQL-BackTrack can find out errors upfront without executing backups. Errors like server connection, database availability, destination availability etc.)
7. SQL-BackTrack can perform incremental and delta backup. Only changes occurred to database are backuped up. This can save space & time taking backup
8. SBT supports stripping for faster backup/recovery and also clonning of the images to allow recovery from clonned location if primary location is not available.
9. It also allows to create script automatically. No manual scripting required. These scripts can be scheduled in the sheduler for backup/recovery.
10. It also allows to schedule pre-post script before/after backups/recovery to perform any task before/after backup/recovery.
It also allows guided recovery like
1. Recover full database or any other object or type from the backup.
type includes user,login,roles,tempdbbindings,encryption key,encryption password,procedure,table,rule,allocation etc.
2. Generate Master database recovery template which helps user to recover master database easily.
3. Database device recovery, missing device recovery(recovery of physical device file).
4. Generating DDL from backup images.
5. SQL-Backtract provides end-to-end simulated recovery – verifies that backup images require to do recovery are available. Identifies problems before a real recovery is needed.
6. SBT allows full database duplication even with creating new devices same as source or different from source or on existing specified devices.
7. Allows to generate reports:
a. Provides a reporting facility that allows to create reports of physical/object level/logical backups, transaction log backups into various formats like TXT,XML,HTML,CSV
b. Generates report of backup assets. Also, reports whether asset is available or not.
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SQL-BackTrack also allows Disaster Recovery setup.
1. It allows to create standby server same as primary/production server (same/different configuration parameters as of source).
2. Create standby database (read-only database) for accessing data for anyother report purpose and also creates scripts for log synchronization to keep standby database in synchronization with primary/production database. These scripts can be scheduled in any scheduler.
3. Also does health checkup of standby setup.
a. Logins synchronization: if any login/user added on the production database then it detects the extra login on production and add it on standby server and log synchronization add user in the database.
No manual intervention is required.
b. If log backups are taken on production but not synchronized on the standby, then recovers transaction log backups on standby.
c. If on production database, any new segment is added on existing device, then it detects the extra segment and add it on the standby database on existing device.
d. If standby auto-remedy is set to true and if any sort of error is occured then auto-remedy operation baseline the standby restart the normal log synchronization.
4. If any disastor is occured then it allows to active the standby so that standby will act as production.
Comment by sapatil — July 14, 2010 @ 12:05 PM
Hi,
“SQL Backtrack does much more than backup and recovery”.
Well, all what is listed here is backup and recovery, with different implementation for different backup/recovery scenario.
With all features we have now in Sybase ASE, and a bit of shell scripting, DBAs can do everything listed here (and fortunately did for years).
I really think SQL Backtrack is a good product, I used it several times at some different places.
It is surely a usefull product for organizations that don’t want to invest in skilled DBAs team, and want a simple and smooth backup solution.
Then it makes sense to use it.
Comment by Jean-Francois LEBON — August 7, 2010 @ 10:23 PM