1

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

When I select View or Change Backup Location... from the Tools menu, I get a message back (after a delay of about a minute) that says "Can't find backup device NBNData_backup". What does this mean, exactly, and can I fix it?

Charles Roper
Digital Development Manager | Field Studies Council
http://www.field-studies-council.org | https://twitter.com/charlesroper | https://twitter.com/fsc_digital

2

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

On standalone Recorder, a backup device is created which allows Recorder to backup and restore the database from a known location on the disk, called NBNData_Backup. The backup and restore functionality is disabled on the network version unless you manually create a backup device of this name, because in the network version we would recommend a scheduled backup policy is put in place rather than ad-hoc. Unfortunately, the dialog that lets you reconfigure the location of the NBNData_Backup device does not get disabled, but it probably should. I guess that's a minor tweak that should go into the next release.

So, to answer your question, just create a backup device on the SQL server called NBNData_backup.

Best Wishes

John van Breda
Biodiverse IT

3

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

Thanks John, I created the device as suggested and the backup functionality now works.

We do have a scheduled backup running, but it's also useful to be able to fire-off an ad hoc backup before doing anything that you might want to roll-back on. Some of the new batch updates also need the backup device I believe (or maybe I imagined that?). At any rate, it seems sensible to allow for the automated creation of a backup device on the network install.

Charles Roper
Digital Development Manager | Field Studies Council
http://www.field-studies-council.org | https://twitter.com/charlesroper | https://twitter.com/fsc_digital

4

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

Having just reinstalled SQL Server 2005 Express and got R6 running again, I find I have lost the backup facility. Mine is a network installation but on a standalone machine, so I suspect the problem may be the absence of this device NBNData_backup. Sorry to be ignorant, but how and where do I create it?

Janet Simkin
British Lichen Society

5

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

Janet, in SQL Server Management Studio, in the Object Explorer, look for Server Object > Backup Devices. Right-click on backup devices then select New backup device... You then need to supply a path with filename for where you want the backup to go and the name, which should be NBNData_backup.

Charles Roper
Digital Development Manager | Field Studies Council
http://www.field-studies-council.org | https://twitter.com/charlesroper | https://twitter.com/fsc_digital

6

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

Thanks, Charles, it's working now.

Janet Simkin
British Lichen Society

7

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

I have been using backup and restore successfully ever since the last post in this thread, but now find that I can't restore the backup. The error is Cannot login to NBNUser.

The same error came up when I tried to check the backup location, but only once. After rebooting the system it worked the second time and showed that the backup location was still shown correctly, but then I got the same error on trying to restore the backup. What is going on?

Janet Simkin
British Lichen Society

8

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

Hi Janet,

Not sure whether the following post might help - this user also had some issues with nbnuser on vista: http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?id=761

Hope this helps.
Lynn

9

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

Thanks, I'll look into it but I'm not on a network so it may be a different issue. Also, it was working until yesterday and I haven't changed anything so there is something strange going on here.

Janet Simkin
British Lichen Society

10

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

I have had this problem since a new server was installed, but I cannot create the backup device as I lack necessary permission, any idea to what I need permission?

Rob Large
Wildlife Sites Officer
Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre

11

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

OK I have successfully created a backup device (or rather our admin did as I didn't have permission) and successfully (I think) backed up. But now I cannot restore as it says I do not have permission.

Once again, what permissions do I need.

Rob Large
Wildlife Sites Officer
Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre

12

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

Hi Rob
If you are connecting using the NBNUser login on SQL Server (rather than a trusted connection) then NBNUser should have the db_backupoperator role assigned to it which lets you do this. If using trusted connections then you will have to add this database role to yourself.
Best Wishes

John van Breda
Biodiverse IT

13

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

I will look into this John, but since I was attempting to restore a backup from within Recorder this time,  I assume it was NBNUser.

Rob Large
Wildlife Sites Officer
Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre

14

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

OK John

I have checked and the db_backup operator role was already in place both for my own trusted login and for NBNUser. I am unable to restore a backup either from within Recorder or from Managment Studio.

Today it is not saying that I don't have permission, instead I get the message that the backup cannot be restored because the database is in use. It is not, as I am the only person who has used it at all today (once to attempt the restore). Last night we recieved this message a few times so tried a server restart to ensure it was not in use, but at that point we got the message about permissions.

I will have to correct the changes I was hoping to restore manually as I am currently keeping several people from their work and further server restarts will not be possible until tonight, but it is important we get to the bottom of this. Any further help would be gratefully received.

Rob Large
Wildlife Sites Officer
Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre

15 (edited by RobLarge 08-02-2011 10:47:57)

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

Ok, I am bumping this one back up as i got no response and it urgently needs correcting.

To reiterate, I can make, but not restore backups (when I try to restore Recorder tells me I do not have permission, although I do have the db_backupoperator role). Interestingly though, if I choose "View or change backup location" from the tools menu, the change dialog opens (again saying that I do not have permission to change the backup location). It lists the current backup location as D:\recorder6\Backups. Now this may have been the path to the backup location when we originally installed recorder, but we now have a new server and the folder is located on the Z:\ drive.

The drive selection dropdown on the dialog only lists C:\ and D:\ as options. We have multiple drives on our network, none of which is currently called D:\.

I have permission to do almost anything on the network and on SQL server.

Can anyone tell me how the backup location is stored, so I can at least find out how to get permission to make the change?

Rob Large
Wildlife Sites Officer
Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre

16

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

Things move on... or backwards.

After some more investigation I now realise that the change backup location dialog is in fact reporting the location correctly, from its perspective, as the backup location is on the D drive of the server, which we see as the Z drive.

I assume that the reason the dialog tells me I cannot change the backup location is because this has to be done through SQL server rather than the Recorder UI, maybe this bit of functionality is a hangover from the time before SQL server, or maybe it is possible to move the backup location on a standalone installation? Anyway I am confident now that we have the tools necessary to create backup files wherever we wish.

Which brings me back to the problem in hand. I have just successfully created a backup, there was a short pause and the datestamp on the backup file is correct, it looks like a backup was created.

However when I try to restore the backup, I am asked if I am sure, as usual and then immediately am presented with a notification that "The backup was not created as you do not have permission". Note the wording, I am not trying to create a backup, I am trying to restore from one.

Please can someone help with this?

Rob Large
Wildlife Sites Officer
Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre

17

Re: Cannot use the backup functionality

Bump (again)

Rob Large
Wildlife Sites Officer
Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre