Overview of NetBackup for SQL Server

NetBackup for SQL Server provides the capability for backups and restores of SQL Server databases. NetBackup offers the following types of SQL Server backup policies:

SQL Server Intelligent Policies. A single policy protects multiple SQL Server instances that are spread over multiple clients. You select instances for a policy from a list of instances that are automatically discovered in the NetBackup environment.
Legacy policies, using clients and batch files. These policies include a list of SQL database clients and a batch file that contains SQL backup commands to run when the backup is scheduled.

The NetBackup MS SQL Client lets you perform the following operations:

View discovered instances, databases, or availability groups.
Restore databases and database components.
Configure restore options.
Monitor restore operations.
(SQL Server legacy policies) Backups of databases and database components and configuration of backup options.

In this guide, Microsoft SQL Server is referred to as SQL Server. NetBackup for Microsoft SQL Server is referred to as NetBackup for SQL Server.

Table: NetBackup for SQL Server features

Feature	Description
NetBackup integration	Full integration with the NetBackup master server and media manager. Job monitoring from the server and the NetBackup MS SQL Client interface.
SQL Server Intelligent Policy	The following benefits are included: Create a single policy to protect multiple SQL Server instances or instance databases or a policy to protect availability groups or availability databases. Instances can be spread over multiple clients. Include a full, differential, and transaction log backup in the same policy. Schedule frequent backups of transaction logs. You are not required to know SQL Server commands or to write and use batch files. Instead, this feature automatically generates the batch files at run-time.
Management of SQL Server objects for use with Intelligent Policies	NetBackup automatically discovers SQL Server instances and availability groups in the environment. You can also perform manual discovery. After instances or replicas are registered, a SQL Server Intelligent Policy can be created that protects instances or availability groups. The user can also use instance groups to organize instances or replicas and, optionally, automatically register those objects.
Authentication and credentials	SQL Server Intelligent Policy supports the following: Windows authentication and Windows Active Directory authentication. With the proper configuration, you do not have to run the NetBackup service account as a privileged SQL Server user on the client. The SQL Server DBA can manage the SQL Server credentials and instance registration independently from the NetBackup administrator, with the nbsqladm command.
Backup and restore features	The following features are available for backups and restores: Backups and are managed entirely by the NetBackup server from a central location. Administrators can schedule automatic, unattended backups for instances on local or remote hosts across the network. NetBackup supports the backup of databases, files, filegroups, transaction logs. Backup schedules for full, differential, or transaction log backups. Manual backups and copy-only backups. Backups and restores of only read-write filegroups. Support for high availability (HA) environments, including SQL Server clusters and availability groups. An administrator that uses the NetBackup MS SQL Client can browse backups and select the ones to be restored. Restore SQL Server objects to different locations (redirected restores). When the Encryption attribute is enabled, NetBackup encrypts the backup for the instances or clients that are listed in the policy. Ability to use multiple stripes during a backup. Tuning options that can improve the performance of backups.
Stream-based backups and restores	Stream-based backup and restore of SQL Server objects with SQL Server's high-speed virtual device interface.
Snapshot backups and instant access databases	NetBackup can perform backups of SQL Server with snapshot methodology. Also available are off-host backups, Instant Recovery, and backups with a hardware provider.
Support for VMware backups that protect SQL Server	Support for application-consistent backups of VMware computers using the VMware intelligent policy. The VMware intelligent policy includes three features that NetBackup for SQL Server supports: VMware snapshots, Replication Director (RD) snapshots, and Accelerator. Only full backups are supported on these three variations of the VMware intelligent policy. See the following documents for more information. NetBackup for VMware Administrator's Guide NetBackup Replication Director Solutions Guide NetBackup Administrator's Guide, Volume I
NetBackup encryption	When the Encryption attribute is enabled, NetBackup encrypts the backup for the instances or clients that are listed in the policy.
Multistreaming	Ability to use multiple stripes during a backup.
Legacy SQL Server policies	Support for the legacy backup policies that use batch files and a list of clients.

Overview of NetBackup for SQL Server

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