Data Backup Solutions

The chapter Logging, Backup, and Restore in Advanced Operations Guide discusses the data backup solutions provided with Pervasive PSQL. In addition to those solutions, Pervasive PSQL v11 SP2 now includes the following:

If your backup software is not aware of the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), you can use Pervasive Backup Agent with your backup software. The VSS framework is included with Windows Server 2003 and newer operating systems.

If your backup software is VSS aware, Pervasive PSQL VSS Writer is automatically invoked during VSS backups. You do not need to use Pervasive Backup Agent if your backup software is already VSS aware.

Pervasive Backup Agent and Pervasive PSQL VSS Writer can be used together, but there is no advantage in doing so. Your backup process will be more streamlined if you select one method or the other. (See also Pervasive PSQL VSS Writer and Pervasive Continuous Operations in Advanced Operations Guide.)

Pervasive Backup Agent provides a quick and simple method for you to set and manage Continuous Operations on your Pervasive PSQL database files. Setting and managing Continuous Operations is a critical piece when backing up your Pervasive PSQL databases without using Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service. Backup Agent automatically handles setting and managing Continuous Operations on your open files so that your data is still available from your application during your backup. Once the backup procedure is complete, stopping Backup Agent takes the files out of Continuous Operations and rolls in all the changes captured during the backup.

Pervasive Backup Agent is an optional product included with Pervasive PSQL v11 SP2 Server. Pervasive Backup Agent is not included with Pervasive PSQL Workgroup, but can be purchased as a separate product.

By default, Pervasive Backup Agent is not installed. You must install it from the Pervasive PSQL v11 SP2 media after you install Pervasive PSQL Server.

No separate license for Pervasive Backup Agent v3.1 is required if it is installed on the same machine as Pervasive PSQL v11 SP2 Server. This also applies if you upgrade Pervasive PSQL v11 Server or v11 SP1 Server to Pervasive PSQL v11 SP2 Server.

For details on Pervasive Backup Agent, see the following:

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Pervasive Backup Agent Guide, which is available on the Pervasive Software Website (http://www.pervasivedb.com).

The Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) consists of Writer, Provider, and Requestor components. Pervasive PSQL v11 SP2 supports VSS with only a Writer component, Pervasive PSQL VSS Writer.

Pervasive PSQL VSS Writer is a feature of the database engine and is enabled for Pervasive PSQL v11 SP2 Server. Pervasive PSQL VSS Writer is available for use after that product is installed. Pervasive PSQL VSS Writer is currently not available for use with Pervasive PSQL Workgroup.

Pervasive PSQL VSS Writer is available only on Windows operating systems. For more information on Volume Shadow Copy Service, refer to the Microsoft Website document, A Guide for SQL Server Backup Application Vendors.

During VSS snapshots, Pervasive PSQL VSS Writer quiesces all disk I/O write activity to all Pervasive PSQL data and transaction log files, regardless of the volume on which they reside. After the snapshot is taken, Pervasive PSQL VSS Writer allows all disk I/O to resume; this includes any writes that were deferred during the quiesced period.

Pervasive PSQL VSS Writer never quiesces disk I/O read activity, allowing normal database processing to continue during the quiesced period as long as writes are not required. Pervasive PSQL VSS Writer operates normally during the backup phase, although performance may likely be reduced due to the backup activity of the VSS service and VSS Requestor.