The backup strategy of every company, running SQL Server is the main reason of making the DBA happy (and able to get his beauty sleep). It the era of enormous data inputs, it is not only important to backup your data, but to back it up fast and to know you can restore it. In this session we will talk about backup strategies, tips and tricks on optimizing the SQL Server backups (both on disk and with 3-rd party software) and last but not least - how to be sure that you can recover and do it in time

1. Tips and tricks to optimize your SQL Server backup
...and restore 

2. About me
2|
@ikdonev
/ivan.donev
/in/ikdonev

3. Agenda
SQL Server parameters
Compression
OS policies
Not for tapes, storage, 3rdparty software
Not for backup strategies

4. Initialize BAK
Copy from MDF to BAK
Copy from LDF to BAK
Close BAK
BACKUP -full/diff
Initialize BAK
Copy from LDF to BAK
Close BAK
BACKUP -TLog

5. Tip #1 –Use multiple devices
AdventureWorks
AW_1.bak
AW_2.bak
AW_3.bak
AW_4.bak
Backup device
E:Backup_1
F:Backup_2
G:Backup_3
H:Backup_4
E:Backup
AWData1.MDF
AWData2.NDF

6. Tip #2 –Data compression
Row compression
Page compression
CPU Overhead
Smaller database => faster backup

7. Tip #3 –Backup compression
Smaller size => less I/O
Pre-allocation
Trace flag 3042
Monitor
CPU
Backup/Restore Throughput/sec
CPU penalty => control with Resource Governor

8. Tip #4 –Parameter tweaking
Buffercount
No Hard limit
Memory exhaust!!!
MaxTransferSize
Multiples of 64KB
Supported up to 4MB
BlockSize
Default –512B
Supported up to 64KB

9. Pre-zero MDF and LDF
Copy from BAK to MDF/NDF
Copy from BAK to LDF
Recover (Redo and Undo)
Restore of full/diff backup
Copy from BAK to LDF
Recover (Redo and Undo)
Restore of Tlogbackup

10. Tip #1 –Instant File Initialization
Valid and for BACKUP operations
Skip pre-zeroing of DATA files
Log cannot be skipped
Configure using GPEDIT.MSC

11. Tip #2 –Fix your design and strategy
Regular backups
Partial and Piecemeal restores
Play with Buffercount, MaxTransferSizeand Blocksize

12. Trace flags to help
Trace flag
Description
-T3004
Writes in logfilezeroing information
-T3213
Writes in logdetailed parameter details
-T3023:
Enable CHECKSUM on all backups
-T3226:
No backup/restore info in Errorlog
-T3001:
No backup history saved in MSDB
-T1806:
Turn off Instant File Initialization
-T3014 and –T3216:
Writesin Eerrorlogeven more details
DBCC TRACEON(3605,3004,3023,-1)

13. Summary
Physical design and storage layout of the DB
Backup streams
Compression
Instant File Initialization
Monitoring
Do not forget to test your restores!

14. What I did not mention
Backup and In-Memory tables
Backup and Restore to SSDs
Backup and Restore to Azure Blob
Backup and encryption

15. Sponsors

16. Resources
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190954(v=sql.105).aspx
http://henkvandervalk.com/how-to-increase-sql-database-full- backup-speed-using-compression-and-solid-state-disks
http://henkvandervalk.com/how-to-increase-the-sql-database- restore-speed-using-db-compression-and-solid-state-disks
http://blogs.technet.com/b/dataplatforminsider/archive/2014/02/05/database-backup-with-memory-optimized-tables.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb964719.aspx