Using Snapshots with your tape backup solution to improve the quality of your database archives. If the requirement is disaster recovery to current database state, then it is necessary to have access to current logs as well as the Snapshots. SQL Server 2000, Enterprise Edition. Backup and Restore Options Provided by Network Appliance Efficient and reliable backup and recovery are critical components of effective database implementation. In storing SQL Server 2000 database files on a NetApp filer, DBAs are instantly provided with the ability to implement highly reliable, low-downtime backup and restore plans.
Snapshots are read-only images of an entire file system, including database files.
Taken in mere seconds, Snapshots make backup administration simple, flexible, and efficient. Moreover, because Snapshots require little time and little storage space, they can be taken several times per day, enabling more frequent full database backups. The storage overhead associated with a Snapshot is based on the number of blocks that are different between the Snapshot and the active file system. Only as blocks in the active file system are modified and written to new locations on disks will Snapshot begin to consume extra space. If multiple Snapshots exist for a file system, the only Snapshot that actually consumes disk space is the oldest Snapshot.