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How Do I Backup My SQL Server Tape?

Published in SQL Server Backup 5 mins read

Backing up your SQL Server database to tape involves using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or T-SQL commands to initiate the backup process, specifying the tape drive as the destination. Here's how:

Using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

  1. Connect to Your SQL Server Instance: Open SSMS and connect to the SQL Server instance containing the database you want to back up.

  2. Open the Backup Dialog: In Object Explorer, expand "Databases," right-click the database you want to back up, point to "Tasks," and then click "Back Up...". The "Back Up Database" dialog box appears.

  3. Specify Backup Type and Components:

    • Database: Ensure the correct database name is selected in the "Database" dropdown.
    • Backup type: Choose the appropriate backup type (e.g., "Full," "Differential," or "Transaction Log"). "Full" is the most comprehensive, while "Differential" backs up changes since the last full backup, and "Transaction Log" backs up the transaction log.
    • Backup component: Generally, the default "Database" option is correct.

  4. Select Tape as the Destination: In the "Destination" section, remove any existing destination paths by selecting them and clicking "Remove". Then click "Tape" to select the tape drive as the backup destination.

  5. Add the Tape Drive: Click "Add..." to specify the tape drive(s) you want to use. A dialog box will appear listing available tape drives. Select the desired drive(s) and click "OK". You can add up to 64 tape drives.

  6. Media Options (Important for Tape): In the "Back Up Database" dialog box, navigate to the "Media Options" page. Pay close attention to the following:

    • Overwrite media: Choose how you want to handle the tape. You can:
      • Back up to the existing media set: Appends the backup to the existing data on the tape (if there's space). Careful! Ensure the media set can hold the backup.
      • Back up to a new media set, and erase all existing media sets: Overwrites the existing contents of the tape. Use this cautiously.
      • Append to existing backup set: This is a more specific appending option and ensures compatibility with the existing backup set.
    • Verify backup media: Enable this option to verify the backup after it completes, ensuring data integrity.
    • Reliability: (optional) Set the number of retry attempts to handle write errors.

  7. Backup Options: Navigate to the "Backup Options" page to configure settings such as:

    • Compression: If supported by your SQL Server edition, enable backup compression to reduce backup size and backup time.
    • Encryption: If you have configured encryption for your SQL Server instance, you can enable encryption for the backup.

  8. Initiate the Backup: Click "OK" to start the backup process. A progress window will display the status of the backup.

Using T-SQL

You can also use T-SQL to backup to tape:

BACKUP DATABASE YourDatabaseName
TO TAPE = '\\.\TAPE0'  -- Replace with your tape drive's path. TAPE0 is often the first tape drive.
WITH
   FORMAT,  -- Creates a new media set and overwrites any existing data (Use CAUTION!)
   INIT,    -- Initializes the tape
   NAME = 'YourDatabaseName Full Backup',
   DESCRIPTION = 'Full backup of YourDatabaseName database',
   COMPRESSION,
   STATS = 10; -- Display progress every 10%

GO
  • BACKUP DATABASE YourDatabaseName: Specifies the database to back up. Replace YourDatabaseName with the actual name of your database.
  • TO TAPE = '\\.\TAPE0': Specifies the tape drive as the backup destination. The path \\.\TAPE0 is a common path for the first tape drive. Adjust it according to your system configuration if needed. You can also specify network paths to tape drives connected to other machines.
  • WITH FORMAT: Creates a new media set and overwrites existing data on the tape. Use with caution to avoid data loss.
  • WITH INIT: Initializes the tape, preparing it for use.
  • WITH NAME: Assigns a name to the backup set.
  • WITH DESCRIPTION: Adds a description to the backup set for easier identification.
  • WITH COMPRESSION: Enables backup compression (if supported).
  • WITH STATS = 10: Displays progress information every 10% during the backup process.

Important Considerations:

  • Tape Drive Compatibility: Ensure your tape drive is compatible with SQL Server and that the appropriate drivers are installed.
  • Permissions: The SQL Server service account needs the necessary permissions to access and write to the tape drive.
  • Media Rotation: Implement a proper media rotation strategy to ensure you have backups available for recovery in case of data loss.
  • Cataloging: After a backup, catalog the tape to build and maintain an index of the backup data. This greatly speeds up restoring data.
  • Testing: Regularly test your backups by restoring them to a test environment to ensure their integrity.
  • Tape Drive Path: The tape drive path (e.g., \\.\TAPE0) is critical. Verify the correct path in Device Manager.
  • Backup Strategy: Determine a comprehensive backup strategy which includes full, differential, and transaction log backups to fit your business needs.

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