Before we dive into Data Manager for Microsoft SQL Database backup and recovery, let us understand the key architectural components involved in SQL data protection.

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) plug-in

The Microsoft application agent for Application Direct with SQL Server has an SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) plug-in. The plug-in is similar to the SQL native backup and restore UI.

Virtual Device Interface (VDI)

The Microsoft Application Agent for Application Direct with SQL Server uses a VDI (an API provided by SQL Server) to integrate with the SQL Server. It also enables the Application Direct with Microsoft application agent to back up and restore SQL Server data.

DD Boost library

The DD Boost library performs source-based deduplication and sends the backup data to Dell PowerProtect DD series appliances.

Microsoft application agent

The Microsoft application agent receives requests from the vProxy engine (using vProxy agent) to perform a certain set of operations during a backup to:

• Achieve application consistency when taking snapshots (full image)
• Perform transaction log backup

The application agent enables database administrators to back up and restore SQL databases using SSMS.

SQL-CLR assembly

CLR and T-SQL scripts must be integrated to create functions or procedures to perform backups and restores in a SQL environment. The Microsoft application agent installation deploys the CLR assembly. The CLR assembly contains one exportable SQL function type routine to run any Microsoft application agent command at the command prompt.

Lockbox

The lockbox is an encrypted file that the Microsoft application agent uses to store confidential data, such as login credentials, and to protect that data from unauthorized access.

Registering a DD series appliance to a new lockbox creates a lockbox folder. Registering a server to or removing a server from the lockbox updates the PersistedSettings.xml file. The PersistedSettings.xml file contains the DD series appliance information, such as the server name, communication protocol, FC service name, username of the DD Boost user, and storage unit.

Lockboxes were configured by default in the path C:\ Program Files\DPSAPPS\common\lockbox until 19.8 version release. Starting from Data Manager v19.9 release, the lockbox is automatically configured in the custom path where the agent is installed.

Recommendations for lockbox configuration

For a DD series appliance, you can configure one of the following lockbox types according to the environmental requirements:

• Single lockbox: In a stand-alone environment, create a single lockbox on the host.
• Shared lockbox: In an environment with multiple instances, configure a single lockbox in a shared location and grant each remote host individual access to the lockbox.

Note: Do not use a single shared lockbox to perform remote backup operations in a cluster environment. The backup will fail. Use multiple lockboxes in a cluster environment.

• Multiple lockboxes: In an environment with multiple instances, configure a lockbox on each instance in the environment.

vProxy engine

A vProxy engine is a data mover that takes a snapshot of VM and copies the data from VMware datastores to DD series appliance using vSphere APIs for Data Protection (VADP). A vProxy protection engine uses the VMware snapshot technology and uses vSphere Web Service APIs to take the VM snapshot and leverage off Changed Block Tracking (CBT) during the backup.

vProxy agent

A vProxy engine deploys its own vProxy agent on a guest VM. The vProxy engine uses this agent through a VMware infrastructure communication protocol to install and talk to the Microsoft application agent in the guest VM to perform app-aware backups. This does not require any IP network connectivity because it goes through VMware infrastructure using VMware tools.