SQL Server Backup and Recovery: Tools and Techniques (Paperback)

by Frank McBath (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Written by a Microsoft insider who specializes in SQL Server enterprise deployments, SQL Server Backup and Recovery is the first comprehensive guide to protecting and restoring SQL Server databases. Organized to serve as both a hands-on tutorial and a long-term reference, it contains in-depth coverage of both SQL Server 2000 and 7.x -- as well as up-to-the-minute guidance on using Windows XP backup and recovery tools with SQL Server databases. Coverage includes: SQL Server architecture, fundamental backup and recovery principles, tools and scenarios, and SQL Server diagnostic tools. The book includes extensive sample code and scripts designed to help DBAs streamline and automate backup and recovery; as well as detailed information on the leading third party tools for SQL Server backup and recovery. All examples and screen shots are shown utilizing Windows XP, helping to extend the book's value for years to come. For every Microsoft SQL Server database administrator, and for every IT manager and professional responsible for protecting data stored on Microsoft SQL Server databases.

From the Back Cover

Microsoft SQL Server backup: in-depth, start-to-finish, for every DBA!

• The most complete guide to SQL Server 2000 backup and recovery!
• Step-by-step coverage for backing up and restoring your databases, log shipping, and proper DBCC usage
• Making the most of factory-delivered SQL Server backup, restore and diagnostic tools
• Includes coverage of SQL Server in Windows(r) environments for XP and 2000
• Contains scripts and sample code for streamlining backup and recovery!

Written by a Microsoft senior consultant who specializes in SQL Server enterprise deployments, SQL Server Backup and Recovery is a comprehensive guide to protecting and restoring SQL Server databases. The book is organized to serve as both a hands-on tutorial and a long-term reference. Coverage includes:

• What every DBA needs to understand about SQL Server backup and recovery architecture and algorithms
• Planning for backup and recovery: time windows, recovery scenarios, and backup strategies
• Making the most of SQL Server's built-in backup and recovery and diagnostic tools
• Recovering the master database, step by step
• Installation and role changing with log shipping
• How to properly use SQL Server's DBCC commands

SQL Server Backup and Recovery contains scripts and sample code designed to automate and streamline the backup and recovery process—tools field-proven in enterprise deployments. If you're responsible for protecting the data in a Microsoft SQL Server database, this is the realistic, systematic guide you've been searching for!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR; 1st edition (December 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130622982
• ISBN-13: 978-0130622983
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,437,637 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, December 17, 2001

By	Bobby DBA (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

Just got back from the book store and spent a bit reading this book. It's actually quite good. McBath makes the assumption that you are a DBA. Not someone who reads Gartner reports and goes to meetings.

I've become accustomed to a wide variety of lame backup and recovery books. A good example is Anil Desai's... long on planning, but short on how to actually do the work. In his book, backups don't actually start till chapter 6! Easily 2/3 of the book is fluff.

For example, Desai talks about log shipping-- 5 pages. McBath has a whole chapter on it in a how-to format. BOL doesn't cover it in depth, and where it does, it's wrong (ie. sp_change_primary_role example is wrong on fail over). SQL Server Resource Kit has a whole chapter on it, but not one example of how to implement. Long on theory, short on getting it done-- typical of MS Press books.

The book covers just about all the methods for backing up and recovery using standard tools. It also covers using DBCC to recovery data. Then it expands out into rebuilding your stuff from scratch and reloading it (ex. I lost my master database and here's what I got to do).

McBath's book tells you what breaks along the way and how to fix it. Anyone who's had to rebuild master and got in that infinite loop problem knows the hard way. McBath tells you about the problem *BEFORE* you hit it and how to work around it. The Desai book doesn't even tell you how to properly bring the SQL Server into single user.

This is also the only book out there... including Delaney's... that actually flow charts the sequence of events on how a backup and recovery actually work internally. LSN's, GAM Pages, etc... That way you get the theory as well as the practical I-got-to-get-my-job-done stuff.

The section on DBCCs is the first place I've seen where it's pretty much explained well. Delaney's book is also great here, but McBath put's it in context for recovery of data. The straight dope is here. It's dialed in right.

Another interesting point was he shows you the output of the scripts. That way you can see what it's supposed to do *BEFORE* you do it on your box. By doing this, he's also showing you that the scripts have been tested and run, too.

What I liked most was that it used the GUI and T-SQL scripts. This is great cause most people use a GUI which you can't script in SQL Agent, etc...

What's also cool is the Mohan/Narang paper as the appendix. Mohan outlined the ARIES Write Ahead Log (WAL) protocol recovery mechanism that SQL Server is premised upon. I wish there was more intro to it here. It's just tacked on the back. But this is just gold.

Stuff missing that would be cool: Covering third party tools like Legato. In a major data center, they are mandatory.

Finally a book for SQL Server that rivals Oracle Press's long standing tome on Backup and Recovery by Velpuri.

McBath's book is non-stop backup and recovery issues from beginning to end.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MANDATORY reading for any SQL-Server DBA, March 7, 2003

By	"paulvw" (Amsterdam, Netherlands) - See all my reviews

McBath's book highlights common problems and provides practical workarounds for Backup/restore
The Book shows some very cool tricks that make it possible to recover data that's lost due to media
failures. It also covers data recovery tricks by using indexes. It continues about explaining what
to do when you need to rebuild your machine from scratch. Common problems are discussed and workarounds
given. The book is full of examples and tips and tricks from REAL consulting, not rehashing a manual
or Books on line. These tips give the book even more value.

What I liked most was that it describes using the GUI and T-SQL scripts. A GUI is nice but to really
hit the nail one should automate this and script it.
This is THE Backup/Restore book each SQL-Server DBA must have in his bag. READ it BEFORE disasater
happens. One can never be preperaed enough for situations like this.

Last but not least there's an appendix with the Mohan/Narang paper This paper outlines
the ARIES Write Ahead Log protocol recovery mechanism that SQL Server uses.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy This Book!, October 18, 2002

By	William G. Ryan ".NET Nut" (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you do any SQL Server administration where your boss cares about the data contained therein, TRUST ME, READ THIS BOOK THOROUGHLY BEFORE you are in a position of responsibilty. Had I never read this book before I inherited my DBA responsibilities, I doubt I'd be employed right now. This book could not be easier to read, have better examples or provide better insights. Even though I went through a MOC training course and the teacher was great, one week isn't long enough for everything to sink in. Thank goodness there are guys like Mr. McBride to fill in the remaining gap.

I could not say enough good things about this book...mainly becuase I still have a good job because of it.

If your database is important to your boss, this book is a MUST!!!!!!!!!!!