Restoring a SQL Server database from backup is not a task for the faint of heart, and it should not be left to inexperienced junior-level DBAs. Whether the problem involves a loss of data or a mistake that needs correcting, time is of the essence, and people are waiting. All eyes are on the senior DBA, and there’s no time to waste.
The process to restore a 300 GB file can be tedious and requires restoration of the entire database in order to retrieve one file. What if the restoration could be targeted to a particular table instead of the full database? Kroll Ontrack Inc. has the product that can do just that. TechTarget’s Jessica Sirkin gives details regarding this very powerful tool in her recent article:
Developed from customer feedback and DBAs with specific needs in mind, Ontrack PowerControls for SQL recovers selected tables instead of the whole database. With drag-and-drop functionality, users can select and restore only the tables they need.
Kroll Ontrack recruited members of the Minnesota SQL Server User Group to serve as testers of the product in July 2014. Michael Donnelly, president of the group, was instrumental in providing feedback and recommendations for improvements.
Donnelly feels that Ontrack PowerControls allows DBAs to hand off database restoration responsibilities. “Even a developer who is a little bit SQL-Server-savvy can use this [product] to input their data,” he said. “I’ve seen third-party tools with something similar to this, but never something with drag-and-drop functionality.”
Donnelly has a few requests for later versions, however. Ontrack PowerControls is currently rated only for SQL Server 2012, and Donnelly uses SQL Server 2014. He also specifically asked for referential integrity in version two.
Tom McCaffrey, Kroll Ontrack’s Product Director For Enterprise Solutions, will continue to meet with the Minnesota SQL Server User Group over the next year to get more feedback on the SQL Server database recovery technology. Monthly updates to Ontrack PowerControls for SQL will be released, including additional features determined by user request.
The top new feature right now is increasing the granularity of the restore. In the next release, according to McCaffrey, users can expect to see support for SQL Server 2014, 2008 and 2005, and enhanced referential integrity—as well as compressed backups.
For more information regarding Ontrack PowerControls for SQL, see the full TechTarget article.
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