Backing Up SQL Databases with Standalone Backup Job

If you have Veeam Plug-In for Microsoft SQL Server managed by Veeam Backup & Replication, you have a possibility to exclude databases from the backup scope of an application backup policy configured in the Veeam Backup & Replication console. As a result you can back up such databases using a separate standalone backup job triggered from Microsoft SQL Server. In this case, Veeam Backup & Replication processes the whole SQL server in the managed mode, but certain databases are processed by Veeam Plug-In in the standalone mode. This may be useful if you want to back up database manually from Microsoft SQL Server and avoid creating 2 backup chains for the same database.

Keep in mind that this functionality is available only for Veeam Plug-In for Microsoft SQL Server.

To exclude databases from the backup scope of an application backup policy, perform the following steps on the Microsoft SQL Server side:

1. On the Veeam Backup & Replication side, make sure that the database is not in the backup scope of existing application backup policies. For details on how to see the backup scope of a policy, see Specify Databases.
2. On the Microsoft SQL Server side, navigate to the %PROGRAMFILES%\Veeam\Plugins\Microsoft SQL\ folder.
3. Configure a separate repository for standalone backup jobs started from the Microsoft SQL Server side. To do that, run the MSSQLConfigTool.exe command with the --set-repository parameter:

4. Exclude databases you want to process with Veeam Plug-In in the standalone mode:

where:

• <instance_name> is a name of the instance whose databases you want to exclude from the backup scope of an application backup policy.
• <database_name> is a name of the database you want to exclude from the backup scope of an application backup policy. If you want to specify several databases, specify each database with a separate --d parameter.

For example:

After that, you can back up specified databases in the same way as you back up databases protected by Veeam Plug-In operating in the standalone mode. For details, see Performing Backup. Other databases of this SQL instance are still processed by an application backup policy in the usual manner.

In the Veeam Backup & Replication console, after the first successful backup session by Veeam Plug-In operating in the standalone mode, a separate backup job appears in the Jobs node and a separate backup file appears in the Backups node.

Alternatively, you can configure a list of exclusions in the veeam_config.xml file:

Removing Database from List of Exclusions

If you want to return the database to the management scenario and back up the database from the Veeam Backup & Replication side:

1. On Microsoft SQL Server, navigate to the %PROGRAMFILES%\Veeam\Plugins\Microsoft SQL\ folder.
2. To remove the database from the list of exclusions, run the MSSQLConfigTool.exe command with the --exclude-from-managed-mode parameter:

For example:

After that, you can back up removed databases as usual in the management scenario. For details, see Getting Started.