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What is the purpose of copy-only backup?
A copy-only backup is a SQL Server backup that is independent of the sequence of conventional SQL Server backups. Usually, taking a backup changes the database and affects how later backups are restored.
What is copy only backup in SQL Server?
A copy-only backup is a SQL Server backup that is independent of the sequence of conventional SQL Server backups. Usually, taking a backup changes the database and affects how later backups are restored. Restoring a copy-only full backup is the same as restoring any other full backup.
Which backup preference should you set for an Alwayson availability group if you want backups to occur on secondary replicas but which enables backups to occur on the primary replica if that replica is the only one online?
The backup priority setting allows you to configure the AG to specify the availability replica that you want to use for backups. Be mindful that backups taken on a secondary replica require that the secondary SQL Server instance be licensed even if you are just offloading backups.
Can a copy only backup be performed on a secondary replica?
Copy-only backups don’t impact the log chain or clear the differential bitmap. Differential backups aren’t supported on secondary replicas. Concurrent backups, such as executing a transaction log backup on the primary replica while a full database backup is executing on the secondary replica, is currently not supported.
When to use copy only backup in SQL Server?
BACKUP DATABASE supports only copy-only full backups of databases, files, or filegroups when it’s executed on secondary replicas. Copy-only backups don’t impact the log chain or clear the differential bitmap.
Which is the second option for AlwaysOn backups?
Continuing with the analysis, we can now check the second option “Secondary Only”, which the description states that the backups MUST occur on a Secondary Replica. Let’s test it:
How to do transaction log backups in SQL Server?
Since the introduction of ROSRs in SQL Server 2012, administrators have been able to perform full database (copy only) backups as well as transaction log backups on any of the secondary replicas within the same Availability Group. This allows the administrator to reduce or eliminate resource contention between production activity and backups.