581 - Backing up and restoring detached SQL Server databases using file-level selections (with ESE)

Note: From v18.6, you can choose whether the ESE Agent should Warn and Retain or Ignore and Remove offline databases.

• Warn and Retain: When the ESE Agent encounters a database in the backup selection that is offline it will display a warning message in the backup logs and keep the database in the backup selection. This is the default behaviour.
• Ignore and Remove: When the ESE Agent encounters a database in the backup selection that is offline it won’t produce a warning in the log file and will remove the database from the backup selection.

To configure 

1. Right-click on the SQL button on the left.
2. Click Offline databases.
3. Select one of the options.

SQL Server databases can be backed up using the file selection from the Files view or database selection from the SQL view in the Backup Selection tab.

The recommended method to back up SQL databases with ESE is to use VSS i.e. from the SQL view. This will automatically include all the metadata associated with the databases (e.g. file location, permissions). But in the event that a database is detached, the VSS SQL backup will skip the database, even though the files still exist on disk.

Warning: Offline databases still attached to the SQL Server instance will not be backed up.

To back up

To safeguard detached databases from not being backed up, database files can also be backed up seperately:

Note: This is not the recommended method because the database's meta data is not backed up. The ESE backup log will indicate that backing up using the SQL view is best.

1. Browse to and manually select the files (*.mdf, *.ldf) in the Files view.
2. Start the backup as per normal.

Database files will be backed up and/or patched if there were any changes since the last VSS backup performed from the SQL view. 

To restore

If a restore of that specific backup is required, it will not be available via the SQL view but can still be restored on a file level:

1. Browse to and select the files in the Files view - this time under the Restore tab.
2. Once the database files are restored:
   • To 'reattach' the master database to the new instance, follow the procedure presribed by Microsoft: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190679.aspx
   • Non-system databases must be attached manually via SQL Server Management Studio (or T-SQL).
     (See the following Microsoft article for steps to attach databases: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190209.aspx)