Dell PowerProtect Data Manager Appliance 5.12.0.1 Microsoft SQL Server User Guide

Microsoft application agent for application-aware protection

The Microsoft application agent is a component of the PowerProtect Data Manager Appliance data protection solution for VMware virtual machines.

A PowerProtect Data Manager Appliance application-aware VM protection policy uses the Microsoft application agent to provide advanced application-consistent protection for the following Microsoft SQL Server workloads:

• Full backup to Protection Storage—Configure a PowerProtect Data Manager Appliance protection policy with the application-aware option to perform a Microsoft SQL Server backup to a Protection Storage device as part of a VMware image-level backup. A Microsoft SQL Server full backup is performed during the in-guest quiesce by VMware Tools. When the backup is performed as part of the VMware image-level backup, the Microsoft SQL Server data files are backed up as part of the VMDKs during the VM Direct backup. After completing the backup, the Microsoft application agent is automatically run on the virtual machine to catalog the Microsoft SQL Server backup on the Protection Storage associated with the protection policy.
• Transaction log backup—When configuring a PowerProtect Data Manager Appliance protection policy with the Application Aware option, set an interval for Transaction log backup to enable transaction log backups for Microsoft SQL Server instances running on the virtual machine, and specify the frequency of backups. The Microsoft application agent is run on the virtual machine to perform the transaction log backup. Backups are written directly to the Protection Storage associated with the protection policy. A transaction log backup is only performed for databases in the proper state; otherwise, databases are skipped.
• Database restore, flat file restore, table-level restore, or database Instant Access restore to the source virtual machine or an alternate virtual machine. To perform restores to an alternate virtual machine, that virtual machine must be an asset of PowerProtect Data Manager Appliance. However, instance-level restores can only be performed to the original source instance. Performing Self-Service Restores of Virtual Machine Backups provides details on how to use Microsoft application agent to restore Microsoft SQL Server databases backed up with an application-aware VM protection policy.

The Microsoft application agent software package is bundled with the PowerProtect Data Manager Appliance appliance, and is automatically configured on a virtual machine when you add the virtual machine asset to a VM application-aware protection policy. As part of the VM protection policy configuration, both the VM Direct agent and the Microsoft application agent are installed on the virtual machine. The Microsoft application agent installation includes the software components that are required for self-service restore, including the Microsoft application agent SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) plug-in and ItemPoint. After the agent installations, configuration information for the Protection Storage is also sent to the virtual machine, calling the Microsoft application agent to perform the lockbox configuration. Subsequent protection policy backups and self-service restore operations jobs also use this information without any further action required. During application-aware Microsoft SQL Server full backups and transaction log backups, PowerProtect Data Manager Appliance updates the VM Direct agent and Microsoft application agent software packages as required.

The virtual machine credentials that are provided in the protection policy or within the virtual machine asset are used during Microsoft application agent installation and during Microsoft SQL Server full and transaction log backups. The Microsoft application agent is first called to validate the virtual machine configuration. The agent verifies that the Microsoft SQL Server is installed and running, and that the provided virtual machine credentials have the necessary permissions to perform a Microsoft SQL Server backup.

In order to perform Microsoft SQL Server application-consistent data protection for virtual machines, the Microsoft application agent requires the following:

• The Microsoft application agent runs under the virtual machine credentials that are provided in the VM protection policy or virtual machine asset for installation and data protection operations. Configure all Microsoft SQL Server instances on the virtual machine to grant account rights for this account to perform Microsoft SQL Server database backup and recovery operations:
  • Add the account to Microsoft SQL Server logins.
  • Grant the account the sysadmin role.
  NOTE The Microsoft application agent supports only a domain Administrator or local Administrator account for the virtual machine credentials. The user can be an Administrator, a domain user with local Administrator privileges, or a local user with local Administrator privileges. Minimum required privileges for VM Direct backup and recovery provides details on how to enable the support for a domain or local user with Administrator privileges.
• Network connectivity, hostname resolution, and firewall ports between the Protection Storage device and the virtual machines that are part of Microsoft SQL Server application-consistent protection policies and restore to alternate operations. This connectivity is required to enable the Microsoft application agent to perform client direct operations to Protection Storage.
• VMware Hypervisor Manager (service)server version 6.5 or later.
• VMware Hypervisor server version 6.5 or later.
• VMware Tools version 10.1 or later.

• Enable the UUID attribute (disk.EnableUUID=TRUE) in the Hypervisor Platform Client.

  NOTE After you set disk.EnableUUID to TRUE, ensure that you reboot the virtual machine.
• The virtual machine must use SCSI disks only, and the number of available SCSI slots must at least match the number of disks. For example, a virtual machine with 7 disks only requires one SCSI controller, but a virtual machine with 8 disks requires 2 SCSI controllers.
• The VM Direct Engine requires live network connectivity to the Hypervisor where the targeted Microsoft SQL Server virtual machine resides.