Cloud Backup:Back up an SQL Server database

Usage notes

Environment setup

• Supported versions: Cloud Backup supports specific versions of databases, operating systems, and backup features. For more information, see Supported database versions.

• .NET framework: The ECS instance must have .NET Framework 4.5 or later installed.

• On-premises connectivity: If backing up an on-premises database, it must be connected to a VPC via VPN or Express Connect. Ensure the client can access one of these CIDR blocks: 100.64.0.0/10, 100.64.0.0/11, or 100.96.0.0/11. For more information, see Connect a VPC to a data center in single-tunnel mode.

• File system compression: Do not enable file system-level compression on the volume where SQL Server database files are stored, as this is not supported. For more information, see File Locations for Default and Named Instances of SQL Server.

Backup type rules and limitations

The available backup types depend on your database's configuration:

• Master database: Only Full Backups are supported. Cumulative Incremental and Log Backups are not allowed.

• Simple recovery model: Log backups are not supported. Only Full Backups and Cumulative Incremental Backups are supported.

• Full recovery model: Deleting a backup plan that includes log backups will prevent automatic log truncation. The transaction log may grow indefinitely until a new log backup is performed. Monitor your storage space closely after deleting a plan to avoid performance issues. To change the recovery model, see View or change the recovery model of a database (SQL Server).

• Containerized databases: Backing up databases deployed in containers is not supported.

Conflicts with other software and features

Using Cloud Backup alongside other tools can lead to unexpected behavior:

• Using other backup tools:

  • If you use other software to perform a full backup, Cloud Backup might automatically convert your next incremental/log backup into a full backup, leading to increased storage costs.

  • Simultaneously backing up an SQL Server 2019 database with Cloud Backup and another tool can cause errors and prevent you from viewing database details. For more information, see What do I do if browsing database details fails when I back up SQL Server 2019?

• Anti-ransomware feature: Once the anti-ransomware feature is enabled for a database, the SQL Server backup feature in Cloud Backup becomes unavailable. For more information, see Anti-ransomware service overview.

Cost management

Follow these practices to manage costs and avoid issues:

• Free registration: You are not charged for simply registering an SQL Server database in the console. Charges apply when you create and run backup plans.

• Use a single backup vault: Always back up a database instance to a single backup vault. Backing up the same database to multiple vaults can cause incremental/log backups to be converted to full backups, consuming extra storage.

Procedure

Create a backup plan for the registered database.

1. Log on to the Cloud Backup console.

2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Backup > Database Backup. In the top navigation bar, select a region. On the Database Backup page, click the SQL Server tab. Click the ECS Database Instance or Local Database Instance tab. Find the target SQL Server database, then click Back Up in the Actions column.

   

3. In the Create Backup Plan panel, perform the following steps:

   1. Configure the backup parameters and click Next.

      1. Specify Plan Name.

      2. Select the SQL Server database that you want to back up.

   2. Configure the backup plan and click Next.

      Parameter	Description
      Recommended Plan	The recommended backup plan. Cloud Backup provides the following preconfigured backup policies. Select a backup policy as needed, or create a custom backup policy. Typical Plan: enables the Full Backup and Cumulative Incremental Backup features. Critical Application: enables the Full Backup, Cumulative Incremental Backup, and Log Backup features. Customize: enables a custom backup policy.
      Full Backup	If you select Full Backup, all database files in the operating system are backed up. Back up files immediately or at a specified point in time. Schedule periodic backups by hour, day, week, or month.
      Cumulative Incremental Backup	If you select Cumulative Incremental Backup, all incremental database files in the operating system are backed up. Back up files immediately or at a specified point in time. Schedule periodic backups by hour, day, week, or month. Important For deletion purposes, cumulative incremental backups are treated the same as normal ones. An incremental backup is part of a dependency chain and can only be deleted after the full backup it depends on also expires. This means incremental backups may be retained longer than their individual settings suggest. Therefore, configure your backup cycle and retention period carefully to manage storage. For more information, see How does Cloud Backup clear expired database backup files?
      Log Backup	Log Backup enables Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR), allowing you to restore a database to a specific moment. Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR): The primary benefit is restoring data to a precise moment, such as right before an error occurred. High frequency: Backups can be scheduled frequently, with a minimum cycle of every 10 minutes. Important A log backup is part of a backup chain and depends on the most recent full backup. This means the full backup will not be deleted until all log backups that depend on it have expired. Plan your retention policy carefully to manage storage costs. For more information, see How does Cloud Backup clear expired database backup files?

   3. Configure the backup settings and click Next.

      Specify the number of concurrent threads, the retry time, and the limit of the backup speed.

      Parameter	Description
      Concurrent Threads	The number of concurrent threads used to back up files.
      Retry Time	The time interval between consecutive reconnection attempts if the database is disconnected during backup. Unit: minutes.
      Speed Limit	The maximum size of data backed up per second. Unit: MB/s. A value of 0 indicates unlimited speed.

   4. Configure a backup vault and then click OK.

      Important

      A database instance can be backed up to only one backup vault.

      Parameter	Description
      Backup Vault	The backup vault where backup data is stored. Valid values: Create Vault: If you select this option, specify a name for the backup vault in the Vault Name field. If this parameter is not configured, a random name is used. Select Vault: If you select this option, select a backup vault from the Vault Name drop-down list. Important After a backup vault is created, you are charged for the backup vault whether or not backup data is generated. For more information, see Billing methods and billable items. Cloud Backup automatically maximizes data redundancy using zone-redundant storage (ZRS) in supported regions. In regions where ZRS is unavailable, locally redundant storage (LRS) is used instead. The vault type is selected automatically and cannot be manually configured.
      Vault Name	The name of the backup vault.
      Immutable Backup	When Immutable Backup is enabled, the backup vault and all its backup data cannot be deleted until they automatically expire.
      Backup Retention Period	The retention period of the backup data. Unit: days, weeks, months, or years. When the retention period expires, the backup data is automatically deleted. Change the retention period on the Storage Vaults page. This change applies to all newly generated backup data in the backup vault. Important To restore a cumulative incremental backup file or log backup file, Cloud Backup must obtain the most recent full backup file. The full backup file is not recycled until the cumulative incremental backup file or log backup file expires. Configure a reasonable backup cycle and expiration time. For more information, see How does Cloud Backup clear expired database backup files?

      The backup plan is created.

Successful backup

• A full backup is a prerequisite for an incremental backup. You must manually perform a full backup.

• After the backup plan is created, view the backup plan details on the Backup Plans tab. The details include the next execution time and backup intervals for full backup, incremental backup, and log backup. Cloud Backup backs up the SQL Server database from the specified start time at the specified interval.

• When the backup execution time is reached, Cloud Backup runs the backup plan. The backup job is completed when the Status is Idle and the Next Run time is displayed.

More operations

On the Backup Plan tab, find the backup plan. In the Actions column, the following operations are available:

• Modify a backup plan

  If a backup plan cannot meet your requirements, click Edit to modify the backup plan.

• Configure alert settings

  You can choose ┇ > Alert Settings in the Actions column and then select a backup alert policy. The following table describes the alert policies.

  Alert policy	Description
  Disabled	The Cloud Backup client does not send alert notifications.
  Same as Backup Vault	The Cloud Backup client sends alert notifications by using the same method configured for the backup vault.
  Notify Alibaba Cloud Account	The Cloud Backup client sends alert notifications to the owner of the Alibaba Cloud account by using emails.
  Custom	If you select this option, you must select one or more alert contacts or alert contact groups. If an alert is triggered, the Cloud Backup client sends alert notifications to the selected alert contacts or alert contact groups.

• Delete a backup plan

  If you delete a backup plan, all backup and restore jobs that are being performed by the client fail.

  To delete a backup plan, find the backup plan and choose ┇ > Delete Backup in the Actions column.

FAQ

• What is a database backup vault?

• FAQ for database backup

• How does a database backup vault purge expired data?

• How do I view the backup data size and backup vault usage? What is the billing basis?

• FAQ for database backup

References

• Register an ECS-hosted SQL Server instance

• Precheck an ECS-hosted SQL Server database

• Register an on-premises SQL Server database

• For more information about the benefits, working mechanisms, procedures, and limits of the database backup feature, see Overview (ECS-hosted databases) and Overview (on-premises databases).

• Cloud Backup provides resource plans for various backup scenarios to help you enjoy higher discounts and minimize costs. For more information, see Purchase resource plans.