Users Guide

Recover System Databases

The Expose action in Replay Manager can be used as part of a recovery plan for the following system databases: master, model, and msdb.

Use Replay Manager to recover these system databases by manually copying system database les from exposed volumes back to their

original location.

About this task

NOTE: This method will recover the system databases back to the point in time that the restore point was created. Any

modications to the system databases (such as adding or removing users) performed after the restore point was created will

need to be manually repeated. In addition, any databases created after the restore point will be missing. You can reattach these

databases.

Steps

1 Expose a restore point that contains the system databases to recover.

NOTE: Do not select the Make exposed volumes writable option.

2 Shut down the SQL Server service.

3 Using the Windows Explorer, copy the les from the exposed volumes or SMB le shares containing the system database les to the

original location, replacing any existing les.

4 Start the SQL Server service.

Related links

Expose a Restore Point (Windows Extensions Only)

Expose a Restore Point Stored on an SMB File Share

Recovering Databases in a Clustered Instance of SQL Server

Replay Manager can be used to recover databases that are part of a clustered instance of SQL Server. When using Replay Manager in a

cluster, recovery must be performed on the node that owns the instance of SQL Server.

There are two ways to recover databases in a clustered instance of SQL Server:

• Restore: The Restore action functions the same in clustered and non‑clustered environments. However, if the rename and relocate

functionality is used, the new paths must reside on the SQL Server instance’s clustered disks.

• Expose: The Expose action functions the same in clustered and non‑clustered environments. However, in a clustered environment,

there are additional manual steps required before databases can be attached from the exposed volumes. To attach a database in a

clustered instance of SQL Server, the database les must reside on clustered disks that the SQL Server instance is dependent on.

Because the disks created by the Expose action are local disks, they must be manually converted to clustered disks and a dependency

on those disks must be added to the SQL Server application before databases can be attached.

Use Restore to Recover Databases in a Clustered Instance of SQL Server

A clustered instance of SQL Server uses the restore action to recover databases.

NOTE

: The new paths must reside on the SQL Server instance’s clustered disks.