MSSQL Plug-in
The MSSQL plug-in allows you to back up and restore Microsoft SQL Server databases. It works with SQL Server instances installed on the local computer only. The plug-in relies on the following Windows services:
- SQL Writer Service (installed as part of Microsoft SQL Server)
- Volume Shadow Copy Service
Database snapshots are created without interrupting SQL Server operations. Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and SQL Writer help ensure database consistency during backup.
To restore a database, the plug-in stops the corresponding SQL Server instance, copies the database files, and then restarts the instance.
Supported Versions
The MSSQL plug-in allows you to back up and restore major versions of Microsoft SQL Server, including 2005, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022. For compatibility, use the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Handy Backup appropriate for your Windows installation.
Privileges
To use the MSSQL plug-in, the Handy Backup Workstation service must have sufficient privileges to make API calls to SQL Writer Service and Volume Shadow Copy Service.
Plug-in File System
The file system provided by the plug-in is organized as follows:
- Folders correspond to SQL Server instances and carry their respective names. They have no file attributes.
- Files correspond to databases available on the selected SQL Server instance and carry their respective names. They have no file attributes.
Since files and folders exposed by the MSSQL plug-in have no attributes, Handy Backup cannot reliably identify changes between database backup versions. Therefore, the MSSQL plug-in performs full database backups only. Selecting incremental or differential backup mode does not reduce the amount of database data copied.
Each backup creates a complete copy of the selected database. To retain previous database states, configure backup versioning and an appropriate retention policy.
Each selected database is saved as a separate backup file named after the database. The file is a ZIP archive containing the database data files and transaction log files required for restoration.
Backup Types
The MSSQL plug-in creates full database backups. Incremental and differential backup modes do not reduce the amount of database data copied by this plug-in.
These modes are available for other data types in Handy Backup, but their effectiveness depends on how changes can be identified and processed. For Microsoft SQL Server databases, use full backups with scheduling and version retention.
Backing Up
The MSSQL plug-in can only be used as a data source for backup tasks. To learn more, please refer to Specify Backup Set.
To add a SQL Server database to the backup set, follow these steps:
- In the Data Sources pane, click the MSSQL plug-in. The Select data... dialog will open.
- Select an existing SQL Server connection. If no connection exists, click Create a connection….
- In the connection dialog, enter the required SQL Server connection parameters and give the connection a name.
- Select the connection to the SQL Server instance. The database selection window will open.
- Select the checkboxes next to the databases you want to back up.
- When you finish, click OK. The selected databases will appear in the Backup Set pane of the New Task Wizard.
Restoring
When restoring databases, the plug-in queries SQL Writer Service to identify the current paths of the corresponding database files. If these paths differ from those recorded in the backup, restoration uses the current paths. You can also specify a different restore location.
- Open the New Task Wizard.
- Select Restore task, and then click Next.
- Browse to the index file (backup.hbi) in the backup destination folder. Select it, and then click Next.
- In the Select Restore Locations dialog, review the database restore locations.
To restore a database to a different location, follow these steps:
- 4.1. In the Select Restore Locations dialog, select a database (a file in the MSSQL plug-in file system), and then click Change Location. The Change restore location dialog will open.
- 4.2. Select a new database path, and then click OK.
After verifying the restore locations, select the restore type, enter a decryption password if required, and name the task. These steps are not specific to the MSSQL plug-in. To learn more, please see Restore Task.
When you run the restore task, the plug-in first stops the corresponding SQL Server instance and any Windows services that depend on it. It then restores the database files to the configured locations and restarts the services.
Related page: SQL Backup Software
Contents: