Backing up SQL databases by using the legacy method

You can back up SQL databases by using the legacy backup method in the Management Console (MMC) GUI.

1. Start the Management Console (MMC GUI).
2. Select the SQL Server instance in the tree.
3. On the Protect tab for the SQL instance, ensure that the Databases view is selected.
4. For SQL Server 2012: The Standard Databases / Availability Databases button toggles between the standard database view and the availability database view. The label on the button reflects the type of databases that are displayed in the view. To display a list of availability databases, click Standard Databases. Information about the availability databases in an availability group is displayed, including the replica role, synchronization state, and space and log usage.
5. Select one or more databases to back up.
6. Verify the backup options. If the backup options are not displayed, click Show Backup Options.
   • Use the Stripes option to specify the number of data stripes to use in a backup or restore operation. The numstripes variable can range from 1 to 64. The default value is 1.
   • Use the DiffEstimate option to specify the estimated fraction of the database that changed since its last full database backup. This estimate is needed because SQL Server does not provide a way to determine the size of a differential backup, and because the Tivoli Storage Manager server requires an accurate size estimate to efficiently allocate space and place objects. The Tivoli Storage Manager server uses this value to determine whether there is enough space in the primary storage pool to contain the backup. The default value is 20.
   • Use the LogEstimate option to specify the estimated the fraction of a SQL database that changed due to non-logged operations since the last log backup. The default value is 0.
   • Use the Truncate option to specify whether to dispose of entries you no longer need in the SQL database transaction log after you back up the log. In general, you do not want to truncate the log when rebuilding a corrupted database. This option enables the server to back up the transaction log but does not try to touch the data in any way. It writes all transaction log entries from the time of the last log backup to the point of database corruption. If you do not truncate the transaction log, you might be able to back up the transaction log of a damaged, suspect, or unrecoverable SQL Server database. The default value is True.
   • Use the Backup tail of the log option to store log records that have not yet been backed up. By storing these records, also known as the tail of the log, the log chain is kept intact. Before you can recover a SQL Server database to the latest point in time, you must back up the tail of the transaction log. The tail-log backup is the last backup of interest for the database recovery plan.
7. In the Actions pane, click Backup Method and select Legacy. TSM is the only available backup destination.
8. Optional: Choose a mode for the current task:
   • Run Interactively: Click this item to run the current task interactively. This selection is the default.
   • Run Scheduled: Click this item to convert the current action into a scheduled task. When you select this item, the schedule wizard starts up, complete with the command that is required to complete the task.
9. Create the backup by clicking one of these actions in the Actions pane:
   • Full Backup
   • Copy-Only Full Backup
   • Differential Backup to TSM
   • Log Backup to TSM
   You can also right-click to select a database; then, from the context menu, select the backup action.