Backing Up SQL Using Windows Server Native Backup

Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012 contain a native backup application called Windows Server Backup. The sample backup procedure that follows is based on Windows Server 2012; however, the steps are very similar for Windows Server 2008 R2. Because Windows Server Backup is not installed by default, it is necessary to add this feature by performing the following steps:

1. From the Server Manager console, select Local Server in the left pane.

2. From the Manage drop-down menu, click Add Roles and Features.

3. At the Select Installation Type screen, keep the default option of Role-Based or Feature-Based Installation, and click Next.

4. At the Select destination server screen, keep the default option of Select a Server from the Server Pool, and verify that the Lync database server is selected in the Server Pool list at the bottom of the screen. Click Next.

5. At the Select Server Roles screen, click Next.

6. At the Select Features screen, scroll down to the bottom of the list of features and select Windows Server Backup, as shown in Figure 11.15. Click Next.

Figure 11.15. Adding the Windows Server Backup feature.

7. At the Confirm Installation Selections screen, click Install.

8. When the installation has completed, click Close.

Now that the Windows Server Backup feature is installed, it can be used to back up SQL using the following procedure:

1. From the Server Manager console, select Local Server in the left pane.

2. From the Tools drop-down menu, click Windows Server Backup.

3. In the Action pane at the far right, click Backup Once.

4. In the Backup Options Wizard, either select Scheduled Backup Options to use previously configured backup settings, or select Different Options to make a backup with new options. Click Next.

5. At the Select Backup Configuration screen, choose either Full Server or Custom Backup. If Custom Backup is selected, be sure that all volumes containing SQL program files and data are included in the backup item selections. For Lync Server SQL backup purposes, Full Server backup is typically the best choice. After the selection is made, click Next.

6. At the Specify Destination Type screen, select either Local Drives to store the backup file locally, or Remote Shared Folder to store the backup file on the network. Click Next.

7. Depending on the selection made on the preceding screen, either the Select Backup Destination screen or the Specify Remote Folder screen is presented. For a local backup destination, choose an available drive volume from the drop-down menu and select whether backup verification will be enabled after the backup file is written. For a remote folder, specify the remote location using the UNC path format, as shown in Figure 11.16; then in the Access Control section select whether access to the backup file will require credentials. When finished, click Next, which will validate the backup destination.

Figure 11.16. Remote folder backup settings.

8. After the backup destination is validated, review the backup job settings listed on the Confirmation screen, and then click Backup to begin the backup job.

9. After the backup job completes, click Close.