SQL Virtual Restore 2.3

Why SQL Virtual Restore?

• Save time: turn your backup into a live database, without a physical restore, and get quick and easy access to your data
• Save space: the virtual database carries a significantly smaller footprint than a regular physical restore
• Recreate a live, fully functional database: SQL Virtual Restore supports both read/write operations

More information about SQL Virtual Restore

SQL Virtual Restore offers a quick, easy way to mount backups as live, fully functional databases. By virtually restoring a native SQL Server, SQL Backup Pro or SQL HyperBac backup, you get access to complete, transactionally consistent data. The virtual restore is quicker than a regular restore, and the mounted database requires near–zero additional storage over the backup file.

There's no need to change how you work. You can use SQL Virtual Restore with T-SQL RESTORE DATABASE and RESTORE LOG commands, or the SQL Virtual Restore wizard. Any data access method can be used to query your database, including SQL Server Management Studio, Query Analyzer and ADO.NET.

Here are just some problems SQL Virtual Restore can address:

• Slow Restores
• Heavy Reporting Load
• Object Level
  Recovery
• Large Development Environments
• Backup Verification
• Database Copies for Auditing
• Performance Tuning for Production Databases
• Sharepoint Object Level Recovery

How does it work?

SQL Virtual Restore is powered by the original HyperBac filter driver compression and encryption technology. Sitting at the system layer, SQL Virtual Restore intercepts read and write operations and maps them to the backup file. If changes are made to the virtual database, they are written to .vmdf and .vldf files created by SQL Virtual Restore; no changes are made to the backup file.

Compared to a physical/native restore, virtually restoring a database using SQL Virtual Restore is really fast. Physically restoring a 40GB database takes around 10 to 15 minutes in my environment, whereas it takes less than a minute to do a restore with SQL Virtual Restore. I would strongly recommend this tool for all those who have huge database sizes.

R.Raja Jegan, Expert at Expert-Exchange.com

SQL Virtual Restore offers several important benefits to DBAs that a standard restore can't provide: substantial space savings and substantial restore time savings.

Brad McGehee, Director of DBA Education, Red Gate Software