Notes & articles

Using SQL Backup Pro and SQL HyperBac together on the same server

SQL Backup Pro and SQL HyperBac each offer powerful backup compression and encryption features for SQL Server backups. The tools differ in their approach to backup management, integration with SQL Server, and a number of other features. See SQL Server backup tools for more information about the two tools, including a detailed feature comparison.

With flexible licensing, you can install SQL Backup Pro and SQL HyperBac together, on the same licensed server. Normally, you would use either one tool or the other as part of your backup processes.

If, however, you have chosen to install both tools together on the same server, you should read the following important information about backup file compatibility, conversion utilities, and the implications of using both tools to perform backups of the same database.

Backup file compatibility

The backup files created by SQL Backup Pro and SQL HyperBac are not mutually compatible.

• SQL Backup Pro cannot read SQL HyperBac compressed or encrypted backup files
• SQL HyperBac cannot read backup files created by SQL Backup version 5.x or below

Note that SQL HyperBac can read compressed or encrypted SQL Backup backup files, but only if they were created by SQL Backup version 6.x or above.

If you need to use a backup file with both backup tools, you may have to convert the backup file into native SQL Server format first.

Backup file conversion utilities

Both SQL HyperBac and SQL Backup Pro include utilities for converting backup files into native SQL Server format.

• SQL Backup Pro includes the SQL Backup File Converter that you can use to convert SQL Backup backup files to standard Microsoft Tape Format (MFT) native SQL Server backup files.
• SQL HyperBac includes HyperBac WinExtractor and HyperUtil.exe that you can use to convert SQL HyperBac compressed or encrypted backup files to standard Microsoft Tape Format (MFT) native SQL Server backup files.

Mixing SQL Backup and SQL HyperBac backups

Although you can install SQL Backup and SQL HyperBac on the same server, you should carefully consider the implications of running backups using both tools against the same database.

Specifically, SQL Backup and SQL HyperBac backups of the same database will share the same set of Log Sequence Numbers (LSNs). Depending on the types of backups you created with each tool (for example, Full, Differential, or T-Log), and the order of the backups, you might need to use both tools to restore a database successfully.

To prevent complications caused by taking backups using both tools, you should consider using the WITH COPY_ONLY option for the backups you take using one of the two backup tools. This will ensure that you can still restore your database to a given point in time without having to switch between the two backup tools, or having to perform backup file conversions.

Example: using SQL HyperBac to create an ad hoc ZIP backup

For this example, assume that you have configured SQL Backup Pro to back up the PROD_SALES database using the following schedule:

• Full backup at 2 am, every morning
• Differential backups at 2 pm and 8 pm, every day
• Transaction log backup every 15 minutes, all day, every day

With SQL Backup Pro, it's easy to set up these backup schedules, and to monitor the backup jobs using SQL Backup's interactive time line. Built-in network resilience helps to ensure that the backups complete successfully, even when intermittent network problems cause interruptions.

Now assume that a request comes in, at 3 pm, for an immediate full backup of the PROD_SALES database. This backup is needed by a developer who is trying to resolve a critical database application problem. Ideally, you need to:

• provide a full backup taken after the request was received; this will contain the data the developer needs to analyze the database application problem
• create the full backup in a native MTF format (*.bak) that the developer can restore directly to their test system (the developer does not have SQL Backup or SQL HyperBac installed)
• compress the backup to a standard ZIP format so that it can be uploaded to a shared disk as quickly as possible; the developer should be able to decompress the backup using standard tools

SQL HyperBac can compress a native backup to a standard ZIP format. Because SQL HyperBac intercepts backup data before it's written to disc, it can also substantially decrease the time needed to create the backup.

SQL HyperBac is configured by default to compress backup files with a *.zip extension, using a standard ZIP format.

You should also specify the WITH COPY_ONLY option in your BACKUP DATABASE command. This ensures that this ad hoc full backup does not create a new differential base, and so doesn't interfere with your regularly scheduled backups. For example, you could run the following command in SQL Server Management Studio:

BACKUP DATABASE [PROD_SALES] TO DISK = 'D:\Backups\Prod_Sales_adhoc.zip'

WITH COPY_ONLY;

If you don't use the WITH COPY_ONLY option, a subsequent attempt to restore the database using SQL Backup Pro with the 8 pm differential backup will fail.