Backup positional parameters

A FIle backup contains only the contents of the data SQL Server logical file that you specify. You can use this option when it is not practical to back up an entire SQL Server database due to available backup time and space or due to performance requirements. The logicalfilename variable specifies the names of the SQL Server database logical data files that you want to back up or restore to.

Considerations:

For each SQL Server database that you back up, back up the corresponding transaction logs. The Data Protection for SQL Server log file, tdpsql.log, indicates the date and time of a database backup, the data that is backed up, and any error messages or completion codes.
You can specify this parameter many times per command invocation.
A new backup object deactivates any active backup object of the same name in the same SQL Server database.
Use * as a wildcard character in logicalfilename to replace zero or more characters for each occurrence. Specifying only the wildcard character indicates all logical files in the SQL Server database. Because each logical file that is backed up creates a separate backup object on the Tivoli® Storage Manager server, specifying only the wildcard character results in a separate backup object for each logical file in the SQL Server database.
If logicalfilename includes spaces or special characters, enclose it in double quotation marks.
The logicalfilename variable is case-sensitive.
You cannot specify the /recovery parameter with restore file operations.
An SQL Server Create Index operation requires that you back up all affected filegroups as a unit. You cannot back up a file in the affected filegroups until you complete the unit backup. An SQL Server error message indicates which filegroups are affected. You must complete a full database backup or a set backup of at least the affected filegroups for the file backup to succeed.

A FULL legacy database backup contains all of the contents of an SQL Server database and enough of the database transaction log to restore the database consistently. A FULL VSS database backup contains all of the contents of an SQL Server database (database files, log files, and full-text index files).

Each SQL Server database that is backed up by using the legacy backup method creates a separate backup object on the Tivoli Storage Manager server. A new full database backup object deactivates all prior legacy active backup objects for the same SQL Server database. This deactivation includes any active full backup object and any active file, group, set, differential, and log backup objects.

A copy-only full backup contains a copy-only version of a full backup. These backups are considered out of the regular sequence of conventional SQL Server backups, and do not affect the transaction logs or any sequence of backups like differential backups or full backups. Use this option to create copy-only full backups periodically for long-term retention without affecting existing backup schedules or retention policies for disaster recovery.

A Difffull (differential) database backup contains only the parts of an SQL Server database that changed since the latest full backup and enough of the SQL Server database transaction log to make a restore consistent. As such, a differential backup usually takes up less space than a full backup. Use this option so that all individual log backups since the last full database backup does not need to be applied.

A Group backup contains only the contents of the SQL Server filegroup you specify. A group backup is useful when selected SQL Server database table or indexes are assigned to a filegroup and only those tables or indexes need backing up. Specifically:

You can save backup time by not backing up other tables or indexes in the SQL Server database that do not change as often.
You can save restore time if, for example, the filegroup is on a different volume from the rest of the SQL Server database's filegroups and that volume needs to be restored. You need restore only that filegroup for that SQL Server database.

The groupname variable specifies the names of the SQL Server database filegroups you want to back up.

Considerations:

You can specify this parameter many times per command invocation.
A new group backup object deactivates any active group backup object of the same name in the same SQL Server database.
Use * as a wildcard character in the groupname variable to replace zero or more characters for each occurrence.
Specifying only the wildcard character indicates all filegroups in the SQL Server database.
Because each group backed up creates a separate backup object on the Tivoli Storage Manager server, specifying only the wildcard character results in a separate backup object for each filegroup in the SQL Server database.
If the groupname variable includes spaces or special characters, enclose it in double quotation marks.
The groupname variable is case-sensitive.
You must follow group backups with transaction log backups for all SQL Server databases you back up.
You cannot complete group backups for the following SQL Server databases:
- Databases with the SQL Server attribute TRUNCATE LOG ON CHECKPOINT.
- Databases that use the SIMPLE recovery model.
You cannot specify the /recovery parameter with restore group operations.
An SQL Server Create Index operation requires that you back up all affected filegroups as a unit. You cannot back up a single filegroup of the affected filegroups until you complete the unit backup. An SQL Server error message indicates which filegroups are affected. You must complete a full database backup or a set backup of at least the affected filegroups before the group backup succeeds.

A log backup contains the contents of the transaction log for an active SQL Server database since the latest successful log backup. This option can save backup time by requiring fewer SQL Server database backups. For backup operations, Log takes no values. Use * as a wildcard character in logobjectname to replace zero or more characters for each occurrence. Specifying only the wildcard character indicates all log backup objects for the SQL Server databases.

Considerations:

You can control the size of a transaction log by allowing a log backup to truncate the inactive part of the transaction log. This option is the default.
By using the /truncate=no parameter, you might be able to back up the transaction log of a damaged, suspect, or unrecovered SQL Server database.
Each log backed up creates a separate backup object with a unique name on the Tivoli Storage Manager server. A new log backup object does not deactivate any active backup objects (unlike the other backup types except set backups). Log backup objects do not participate in Tivoli Storage Manager server automatic expiration processing except when full database backup objects deactivate all active backup objects for an SQL Server database. Therefore, you can deactivate log backup objects by using the inactivate command if full database backups are not completed frequently or at all.
You cannot complete log backups for the following SQL Server databases:
- Databases with the SQL Server attribute TRUNCATE LOG ON CHECKPOINT.
- Databases that use the SIMPLE recovery model.

A set backup contains the contents of the SQL Server filegroups and files you specify with the /files and /groups parameters. For backup operations, set takes no values. Use * as a wildcard character in setobjectname to replace zero or more characters for each occurrence. Specifying only the wildcard character indicates all set backup objects for the SQL Server databases.

Considerations:

Use this option for unusual circumstances or special, one-time backups. One such case is when SQL Server requires that certain filegroups be backed up as a unit and a full database backup is not practical. See the description of the file, and group parameters, specifically regarding the Create Index operation.
Each SQL Server database backed up creates a separate backup object on the Tivoli Storage Manager server. All of the files and filegroups that are backed up as part of a set backup for the same SQL Server database are contained in a single backup object. Goup and file backups create a separate backup object of each file and filegroup even if they are part of the same SQL Server database.
A new set backup object does not deactivate any active backup objects (unlike the other backup types except log backups). Set backup objects do not participate in Tivoli Storage Manager server automatic expiration processing except when full database backup objects deactivate all active backup objects for an SQL Server database. Therefore, if full database backups are not performed or not performed completed, you can deactivate set backup objects by using the inactivate command.
You must follow set backups with transaction log backups for all SQL Server databases you back up.
The file, group, log, and set parameters can take a list of values (repeatable syntax) and might be specified more than one time. For example: file=a,b or file=a file=b
Multiple instances of optional parameters do not have to be contiguous. For example: file=a group=y file=b group=z