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Since using the new version of Symantec, I've experienced lots of problems doing incremental backups of clients' SQL databases.

Is Windows Server backup a good alternative to Symantec Backup Exec 2012 for backing up SQL databases?

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Which "SQL database" are you using? Oracle? PostgreSQL? – a_horse_with_no_name Sep 21 '12 at 8:21
"SQL" = Structured Query Language - a language standard, but not a product... we'll need to know what actual product you're talking about... – marc_s Sep 21 '12 at 11:37
It would probably be more valuable for you if you described precisely the problems you're encountering doing these backups so that you can get help fixing them. Changing backup mode of operation is potentially costly (in terms of all the things you need to test). – Mat Sep 21 '12 at 11:47

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In my opinion, the best product for performing SQL backups is SQL Server itself. When space permits, I backup to local disk (full + differential, tx log backups every 10 minutes). These files can then be backed up by your third party software (to tape, NAS, etc.).

If I need to do an emergency restore (assuming a non-drive related issue), I already have the files local to the server, no need to mess around with restoring from tape or copying across a network.

One client of mine had used a third party software to backup files directly to tape (a proprietary format). Two years later they needed to do a restore (audit). They had a great deal of difficulty performing the restore because in the meantime they had upgraded the OS and the backup software, which no longer was compatible with the tapes they had from before.

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