How SnapManager Backup works

SnapManager Backup uses Snapshot copy functionality to create online, read-only copies of the SQL Server data you specify.

Note
Databases that cannot be backed up by SnapManager are listed in the upper left panel of the Backup and Verification tab or the Backup Wizard with the label Invalid next to the LUN drive letter.

See the following topics for more information:

What SnapManager Backup does

SnapManager for SQL Server performs the following tasks when creating a backup:

Checks the SnapManager license
Renames the most recent SnapInfo directory (if necessary)
Renames the most recent Snapshot copy (if necessary)
Creates a new directory in the SnapInfo directory for this backup
Note
During the backup process, SnapManager collects backup metadata that is automatically archived to the SnapInfo directory.
Creates a Snapshot copy of the LUNs containing the database files (if specified)
Backs up transaction logs (if specified)
Creates a Snapshot copy of the LUN that contains the SnapInfo directory
Verifies the databases in the Snapshot copy of the LUN (if specified)
Deletes the oldest backup sets (if specified)
Deletes the oldest Snapshot copy of the LUN that contains the SnapInfo directory

SnapManager Backup requirements and limitations

Be aware of the requirements and limitations of SnapManager Backup:

To run SnapManager Backup, the account that SnapManager is using must have a system administrator server role on the SQL Server.
If you rename the SQL database and then need to restore the database from a backup set that was created before the database was renamed, you must restore to a different and nonexistent database name.
If you change the database configuration, any backups taken prior to the configuration change are invalid. After you run the Configuration Wizard, immediately take a backup to reflect the change in your configuration.

Attention
In an SQL Server 2000 or 2005 environment, you should perform backups using only the SnapManager application. Making Snapshot copies of the storage system console for backup using SnapManager is not supported and results in an inconsistent Snapshot copy image of online databases. However, you can use SnapDrive to make Snapshot copies of SQL Server databases, although you cannot restore these Snapshot copies using SnapManager.