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36 TR1081 | Microsoft SQL Server Database Protection Using EqualLogic Auto-Snapshot Manager / Microsoft Edition
8 Advanced Operations with SQL Server Databases
Auto-Snapshot Manager / Microsoft Edition, ASM/ME, has advanced operations and management
capabilities that offer database administrator’s additional functionality beyond normal day-to-day
protection. These operations may require some manual operations that are not automated by ASM/ME or
a higher understanding of SQL Server techniques.
For advanced techniques using earlier versions of ASM/ME, please see the technical report:
SQL Server
Database Protection Using Auto-Snapshot Manager / Microsoft Edition: Advanced Operations
.
Advanced operations discussed in this document include:
Restoring SQL Server databases to new servers using transportable Smart Copies
SQL Server Database Distribution Using Template Databases
SQL Server Database Replication Using Smart Copies
- Data mining capabilities Using Smart Copy Replicas
- Restoring SQL Server Databases with Smart Copy Replicas
Off-Host Backup and Recovery
This section should only be read after fully understanding basic ASM/ME operations with SQL Server
databases.
8.1 SQL Server Database Restore to a New Server
ASM/ME 4.0 introduces a new option for Smart Copy recovery. The Import on Another Host smart copy
option (shown in figure 24) is a new valuable option to enable SQL database portability. The import option
will allow an administrator to import a smart copy backup document from one managed host onto
another managed host in the HIT group and perform a Restore as New operation of that Smart Copy onto
the new host. This option is valuable to admins as they can easily use these imported copies on test and
development systems or to off load operations such as reporting or data mining.
Important things to consider:
The SQL database version must be compatible with the SQL instance you plan to import it onto.
Use an ASM/ME backup document structure according to best practices recommendations. Refer
to the section on ASM/ME Backup Documents.
When a Smart Copy is imported onto another host it will not be available on the original host where
it was created. In ASM/ME v4.0 this operation will show a dialogue box requesting to Add or
Modify Group Info. Choose Cancel to exit this window and fail the operation. This handling will be
improved in future releases of ASM/ME.
For this procedure we will use the following Smart Copy options in ASM/ME:
Import on Another Host
Restore as New