What is SQL Server Backup Monitoring? – Explained

Anyone who works on the SQL Server database knows how important it is to keep proper backups of the SQL files. However, SQL Server backup monitoring is also important because even during the backup process, there is a high possibility of errors occurring. So for keeping track of how successfully the backup process is taking place or if there are any issues in the process. 

Let’s start by understanding the meaning of the backup progress and how it’s done.

What does SQL Server Backup Monitoring Mean?

The process to monitor SQL backup progress means to keep track of the backup process of the SQL Server. As we know well there can be numerous advantages of monitoring the process. One of the major benefits is that the database administrators can find and resolve issues, if any, during the process. While keeping track of the backup process, one can ensure that the data consistency is maintained throughout the process, can be recovered, and is accurate. 

As we now have an idea about what backup monitoring means, let’s take a look at why this monitoring is important during the SQL backup process. 

Importance of Monitoring the Backup Process

The SQL Server backup monitoring offers multiple benefits. Here are a few of them:

• Database Recovery Reliability: While backing up the SQL Server data, it is important to make sure that the SQL backups are complete, and can be recovered easily. Backup Monitoring makes this task easier for the users. 
• Lowers the Risk of Data Loss: Backup monitoring also helps the users track the whole backup process so they can easily look for any incomplete or missing files.
• Error Detection & Resolution: For database administrators, monitoring the backup process makes it easier to inspect and correct any issues during the process. 
• Security Benefits: SQL Backup recovery process requires accuracy and preciseness. SQL Server backup monitoring majorly helps the users to detect any threat like ransomware or other attacks in the SQL Server. 

All these issues are resolved with the right backup monitoring. After knowing the benefits of the tracking of the backup process, let’s take a look at how it is done. 

What to Monitor in SQL Server Backups?

Before knowing how to monitor SQL backup progress, it is necessary to understand what are the things that must be recorded during the backup process tracking. Here is a list of the things that should be monitored during backup.

• Status: It is important to check the status of the Backup whether it is successful, or failed. 
• Frequency: Helps to check if the Backup process is carried out as scheduled or not. 
• Size: Keeps a track on the size of the SQL backup files to keep a check on any sudden growth in file due to corruption or any other attack. 
• Performance: Helps to keep a check on the backup file operations and performance.
• Location: Monitoring the SQL backup location helps to check if the file is safely stored in the specified location.

Keeping a track of these factors helps the users to understand that the SQL backup is successful or not, or if there are any issues in the process. Now we will move to the methods on how to monitor SQL Backup progress more accurately. 

Methods of SQL Server Backup Monitoring

There are different SQL tools using which the SQL Server backup monitoring can be done. We will take a look at these methods one by one to understand the working of these methods. 

Method 1 – Using SQL Server Management Studio

Users can easily keep a track on the SQL backup progress by using the SSMS tool.

The steps to use the tool are as follows:

• The first step is to open SSMS and connect it to the SQL Server instance. 
• Next, right click on the database, and then go to tasks and select the Backup option. 
• Then select destination as disk, then click on the Add button and then select a storage path to save the backup files. 
• In the corner left of the software, you will see the backup progress percentage on the screen. 

The above mentioned method is to monitor SQL Server database backup progress. Now if the user needs to monitor or track the SQL Server restore progress, the steps are as follows:

• Right click on the database in SSMS.
• Then go to tasks, then select the restore option and then choose the database option.  
• The restore window will open. From the source option, choose device. 
• Next, click on the ellipsis icon […] to browse the  backup file. Then click on the add button to add the files. Then click OK. 
• On the top right corner, the progress status of the restore process will be displayed. 

Using this method you can only see the percentage of the process completed. Any other details about the backup process will not be visible. 

Let’s move to the next method to understand how it can help to monitor SQL backup progress. 

Also Read: Learn the most efficient method to Backup and Restore Database in SQL Server step by step. 

Method – 2 Using T-SQL Method for SQL Server Backup Monitoring

The T-SQL command can be used to monitor SQL backup progress. This method is helpful in keeping a track of the backup and restore process in the SQL Server. Users can simply track the progress status using this command with the keyword WITH STATS. 

The command for SQL monitor backup progress is as follows:

Backup Database [SAMPLEBACKUP]

To Disk=’C: \SQLSERVER\BACKUP\SAMPLEBACKUP_FULL.bak’ WITH STATS=15;

Here, the STATS=15 will display the progress every time it completes 15%. 

With the help of this method, the users can easily track the backup progress status in the SQL Server. 

Now, moving on to the next method. Let’s take a look at how PowerShell can help with the SQL Server backup monitoring. 

Method – 3 Using PowerShell

Another method a user can choose for the efficient monitoring of the SQL Server backup process is by using PowerShell. Let’s understand once how the method works.

For the efficient tracking of the Backup progress in SQL, the users have to create a table for storing the details about the backup of the database. 

The attributes that will be added in the table are as follows:

1. inventory.Backup1: to store backup details
2. recovery_model: the recovery model of the database
3. database: name of the database
4. state: current state the database is in
5. full_backup_path: the location where the backup file is stored
6. full_backup_size: the overall size of the Full backup 
7. last_full: details about the last full backup
8. full_backup_time_to_complete: the overall time it took to complete
9. time_from_last_full: the last time when the Full Backup was taken
10. diff_backup_size: the overall size of diff backup
11. time_from_last_diff: time since the last diff backup
12. diff_backup_time_to_complete: the time it took to complete the backup
13. diff_backup_path: the location where the backup is stored
14. last_diff: the last time when the diff backup was taken
15. tlog_backup_path: the location where the tlog backup is stored
16. tlog_backup_size: the overall size of the tlog backup
17. tlog_backup_time_to_complete: the time it took to complete the backup
18. last_tlog: details when the last tlog was taken
19. time_from_last_tlog: time from when the last tlog was taken 
20. data_collection_timestamp: when the data was collected

Now for the next part:

1. To create the object, use the command: Get-MSSQL-Instance-Backup.ps
2. Then, with the created instance, right click on it and choose Run with PowerShell option.
3. Then, open the command window and go to the folder where you saved the object. Then run the command:
   1. PowerShell “C: \temp\Get-MSSQL-Instance-Backup.ps”
   2. Schedule this as the SQL Server Agent Job.
   3. Schedule as a Windows Task Scheduler job. 
   4. After running these scripts, you will be displayed with the objects that you created in the inventory.Backup1 

With the help of this method you can get the backup process details of the SQL Server.

Conclusion

With the help of this write up we have tried to understand the purpose of SQL Server Backup monitoring. We also discussed the importance of the monitoring of the process. With the benefits it offered, we have mentioned some helpful ways to track the backup process in much more efficient way.