Recover a Corrupt Database Using SQL Server

Here’s an informative post explaining some options when recovering a corrupt database using SQL Server: http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Corruption/96117/

Don’t forget to backup the tail of the log!

Here’s the process, including a few extra tips if the original server is unavailable: http://www.sqlskills.com/blogs/paul/disaster-recovery-101-backing-up-the-tail-of-the-log/

When good Domain Controllers go bad!

Scenario

It’s a pleasant day and all is well with the world. Colleagues are skipping around the office with smiles on faces…until…duh duh daaa! One by one, services start failing:

  • Printers go offline:
    • First, for Win7 users
    • Then for all clients
    • Can still print from server though
  • File shares go offline
  • Active Directory replication fails
  • DNS console will not open

Basically, your main Domain Controller (DC) has just taken a dump…and so have you!

These are the steps I took to troubleshoot the issues and get everything back online.

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Understanding SQL Server Backups and Recovery

I’ve read many help files/articles/posts on backup and recovery over the years, but I’ve recently read some of the best yet that have filled in some gaps when it comes to SQL Server:

Using File-level restore mount in Veeam B&R 6.1

One of new features in Veeam Backup & Replication 6.1 is “File-level restore mount”:

When performed by the user interactively (using the backup console UI),
the Windows file-level restore process now mounts the volumes of the backed-up VM under C:\VeeamFLR.
This functionality is useful if you prefer to perform file-level recovery with native tools instead of Veeam
Backup Browser.

See this in action below.

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Copy Veeam backups to USB drive

As we are still rolling out VMware and Veeam B&R throughout our offices, we are not yet in a position to set up replication.

Until we are ready, I thought it was a good idea to at least backup the Veeam backup repository to USB3 drives, which would be rotated and taken offsite daily.

Initially I setup a ‘Veeam File Copy’ job, but later noticed it was taking ages to copy the new incremental files. It seems ‘Veeam File Copy’ jobs do not just copy the new files, but all files every time; not what I wanted.

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How to create a Backup Job for Veeam Backup & Replication 6

So, you’ve installed Veeam Backup & Replication 6, created a new Backup Repository, added a server, and now you want to create a Backup Job for Veeam Backup & Replication 6. Continue reading below to find out how.

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How to create a Backup Repository for Veeam Backup & Replication 6

Before you can start backing up Virtual Machines (VMs), you need to create a Backup Repository after installing Veeam Backup & Replication 6.

During installation, Veeam Backup & Replication 6 will create a Default Backup Repository with a path of C:\backup. As you may not want to store your backups on the C drive – where your Operating System files usually reside – follow these instructions to create another Backup Repository on a separate drive.

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How to install Veeam Backup & Replication 6

Veeam’s Backup & Replication software is No.1 when it comes to backing up VMware – and now Hyper-V – Virtual Machines (VMs). Follow these steps to install Veeam Backup & Replication 6.

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