Mounting SQL Server backups

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To see a copy of SQL Server data from a specific point in time, mount a snapshot backup.

About this task

A copy of data from a specific time is also known as a point-in-time consistent copy or online snapshot.
Restriction: You cannot use Microsoft™ Management Console (MMC) to mount a backup to a different server. To mount a VSS snapshot to a remote server, either enter the mount backup command at the command line, or use the Mount-DpSqlBackup cmdlet.

When you submit a mount request, all of the volumes that are contained in the original snapshot set are imported. If the number of volumes that are imported exceed the maximum number of allowable mapped volumes for the environment, the mount operation can fail.

You can mount VSS snapshot backups either as read-only or read/write. When a snapshot backup is mounted as read/write, you can access SQL databases on the mounted volumes using the Attach function on SQL server. This allows you to run granular restore operations (for example, restores of individual tables or table rows) or use the accessed database as a clone of the production database.
  • Mount read/write (modifies backup, applies to COPYFULL backups only)

    For VSS providers that support transportable shadow copies, you can mount a COPYFULL type backup as read/write. After mounting, your COPYFULL backup is marked as modified and while you can mount it again in the future, this backup can no longer be used for full database restores. However, it can be used for granular restore operations or serve as a clone of the production database. All databases on the snapshot volume that are mounted as read/write are marked as modified.

  • Mount read/write (without modifying backup)
    This mount option is only available for the following devices:
    • SAN Volume Controller (SVC) devices, which require IBM® System Storage® Support for Microsoft Virtual Disk and Volume Shadow Copy Services version 4.12 or later. Dynamic target allocation is not supported.

    • XIV system devices, which require IBM Storage Accelerate Family Provider for Microsoft Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service version 2.9 or later.

    You must allocate more target volumes on your storage device to accommodate the number of concurrent read/write mounts you want to do. An extra target volume that matches the size of the volume to be mounted, is needed for each concurrent read/write mount of that volume.
Note: You can override your default mount options as specified in the configuration file by using either the /MOUNTRW parameter on the mount backup command, or the Mount-DpSqlBackup cmdlet.

Procedure

  1. Start MMC.
  2. Click Recover Data in the welcome page of MMC.
  3. In the Actions pane on the Recover tab, click Mount Backup.
  4. Either type the path to the empty NTFS or ReFS folder where you want to mount the backup or browse to find the path.
  5. Optional: If required, select the Mount the snapshots in read/write mode option.
  6. Click OK.
    On the Recover tab, the backup that you mounted is displayed.
  7. In the Actions pane, select the Explore and Unmount Backup tasks for the backup that you mounted.