Backup of databases

Posted by Raymond Cheok on January 6, 2006, 3:57 am

Please log in for more thread options

Is it enough to backup only HQ database or do we have to backup individual
store database? If a certain store database goes down, can we restore that
store database by exporting it from HQ? If yes, please tell how to do it.
Thanks.

Raymond

Posted by Jeff on January 6, 2006, 7:12 am

Please log in for more thread options

Raymond,

While I think it can be done, you should be backing up both and having
multiple copies of each.

--
=

> Is it enough to backup only HQ database or do we have to backup individual

> store database? If a certain store database goes down, can we restore that

> store database by exporting it from HQ? If yes, please tell how to do it.

> Thanks.

> Raymond

Posted by Glenn Adams [MVP - Retail Mgmt on January 6, 2006, 12:27 pm

Please log in for more thread options

I agree with Jeff that you should be backing up both. If you need to
restore a store from HQ, you just export the database again - exactly the
same as when you did it the first time. You may lose some configuration
information as that will come from the Template database, but everything
else should be recovered up to the time of the last successful 401 worksheet
for that store.

Definately better to have a backup of the store database and recover from
that...

--
--
Glenn Adams
Tiber Creek Consulting
http://www.tibercreek.com
glenn@tibercreek.com
----------------------------------------------
Please DO NOT respond to me directly but post all responses here in the
newsgroup so that all can share the information

> Is it enough to backup only HQ database or do we have to backup individual

> store database? If a certain store database goes down, can we restore that

> store database by exporting it from HQ? If yes, please tell how to do it.

> Thanks.

> Raymond

Posted by Raymond Cheok on January 7, 2006, 12:09 am

Please log in for more thread options

Hi Glenn & Jeff,

Thanks for the reply. I do have backup of the store database, but its on the
same PC that is running the MSDE at the store. So was just wondering if the
whole PC goes down, what other alternative backup I have. Its good to know
that I can at least still do it from the HQ database.

I have 4 stores running at different locations, what kind of backup do you
think it's necessary at the store level other then backing up to the PC HD.
Should I be running tape backup at the store level?

Thanks for all the help.

Raymond

On 1/7/06 1:27 AM, in article eG9UwZuEGHA.1464@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl, "Glenn

> I agree with Jeff that you should be backing up both. If you need to

> restore a store from HQ, you just export the database again - exactly the

> same as when you did it the first time. You may lose some configuration

> information as that will come from the Template database, but everything

> else should be recovered up to the time of the last successful 401 worksheet

> for that store.

> Definately better to have a backup of the store database and recover from

> that...

Posted by Jeff on January 7, 2006, 3:14 am

Please log in for more thread options

Raymond,

We use and suggest a hard drive solution instead of tape.

For the stores, either an internal (preferred, because its faster) or
external drive. We use and sell a scenario of 2 hard drives in removable
carriers and a piece of software called Symantec Ghost 10.0. The removable
carriers provide a program that allows us to "hot-swap" the drives out. We
set up the Ghost program to backup all of the information on the primary
hard drive once a day and then backup the information that has changed every
hour, to the hard drive in the removable carrier.

We instruct the merchant to change the drives everyday, at closing, using
the program to "hot-swap" (change) the drives. When we install Ghost, we set
the program to have multiple backups, per drive, per day. This a depends on
the size of the backup drive you use, but an 80 gig drive is good for about
5 days worth, so that's 5 complete backups and 5 days of incremental backups
(usually 12 per day) per drive. That gives you 10 days worth of backup.
After the program reaches the backup limit you set , it erases the oldest
backup.

The biggest benefit is that if your primary hard drive were to fail, which
it will eventually, you can replace the hard drive with a new one, start the
machine the Ghost CD inserted and then run the Ghost program, it will
restore to the new hard drive, exactly where you were up to the last backup,
an hour ago, in about 30 minutes, without installing any operating system,
programs or data. Using a tape drive, you would insert the newest tape,
which is probably at least a half day old, (it probably backed up last nite
after hours) and then restore the drive, which takes about 4-6 hours.

It also allows you to find an older version of any program or data and
restore it in about a minute. Remember, there are 13 backups a day, per
drive.

This is all done in the background so that the user doesn't even know its
backing up. The program up to email somebody if there is a problem while
backing up. We setup our customer's machines to email us instead so that we
can watch it for them, but you can setup any email address you want.

The total package runs about $350 per store, _much_ less than for the same
capacity tape drive. $80 for Ghost, $170 for the 2 80 gig hard drives and
$80 for the swappable carriers. If you want more than 10 days of backups,
just buy bigger hard drives! This is assuming XP Pro at the stores.

Symantec, the Ghost program manufacturer, also offers the same type of
program for machines running Windows Server called V2i Protector that has
the same capabilities, just more $, because its for Windows Server. We
recommend the same setup, except using larger capacity drives, for more days
worth of backup.
--
*
Hi Glenn & Jeff,

Thanks for the reply. I do have backup of the store database, but its on the
same PC that is running the MSDE at the store. So was just wondering if the
whole PC goes down, what other alternative backup I have. Its good to know
that I can at least still do it from the HQ database.

I have 4 stores running at different locations, what kind of backup do you
think it's necessary at the store level other then backing up to the PC HD.
Should I be running tape backup at the store level?

Thanks for all the help.

Raymond

On 1/7/06 1:27 AM, in article eG9UwZuEGHA.1464@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl, "Glenn

> I agree with Jeff that you should be backing up both. If you need to

> restore a store from HQ, you just export the database again - exactly the

> same as when you did it the first time. You may lose some configuration

> information as that will come from the Template database, but everything

> else should be recovered up to the time of the last successful 401

> worksheet

> for that store.

> Definately better to have a backup of the store database and recover from

> that...