Granular SQL restore with Ontrack PowerControls (Kroll restore)

Topic

This article explains the process to perform a granular Microsoft SQL database restore using Ontrack PowerControls. Ontrack PowerControls supports SQL 2005, SQL 2008, SQL 2008 R2, SQL 2012, and SQL 2014 and can read MDF, LDF, NDF, and BAK files. To restore an Exchange server, see Exchange mailbox restore with Ontrack PowerControls (Kroll restore).

To learn more about PowerControls' restore capabilities, see Ontrack PowerControls User Guide Version 9.3 for SQL (external link).

IMPORTANT  Datto appliances use Ontrack PowerControls version 9.3. Newer versions of this software are unsupported.

ALTO users not on per-agent pricing must purchase this service at an additional cost. Contact your Sales Executive if you need to purchase a PowerControls license for an ALTO appliance.

Environment

  • Datto SIRIS
  • Datto ALTO
  • Ontrack PowerControls
  • Microsoft SQL Server

Description

The restore process has several steps:

Download Ontrack PowerControls

You can download Ontrack PowerControls for Microsoft SQL Server directly from the Datto Device Web, and install Ontrack PowerControls for Microsoft SQL Server on a Windows PC that can connect to the Microsoft SQL Server.

  1. Log in to the web interface for your Datto appliance. Go to the Advanced menu and click Granular Restore. Under Kroll Ontrack PowerControls for Microsoft SQL Server, click the Executable and the License File links to download each file.


Figure 1: Download Ontrack PowerControls for MS SQL Server

NOTE  If you need to restore Microsoft SQL Server 2016, use the Kroll Ontrack PowerControls for Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint installer and license. Then, follow the steps described in this article to complete the restoration. To learn how to install Kroll Ontrack PowerControls for Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint, see our Exchange article.

  1. Once you've downloaded the executable and the license file, locate the self-extracting archive you downloaded and install and activate the program. You do not need to install PowerControls on the MS SQL server, but you must be able to connect to the SQL server from the machine on which you install it.

Check the Microsoft SQL Server datastore

  1. To navigate to the correct location to retrieve your data, you must know where your SQL server stores this data. To do so, go into the Microsoft SQL Server program. Right-click the top-level server, and choose Properties. This example shows SQL Server 2008. Other versions of SQL Server may differ.


Figure 2: SQL Server 2008

  1. In the Server Properties window, click the Database Settings option.


Figure 3: Database Settings

Note the location of the Data and Log files. You will need this information later.

Mount a file restore

  1. To start the file restore, click the Restore tab of the Datto appliance.


Figure 4: Start a Restore

  1. Choose the SQL server from which you want to restore data and select File Restore. Then, choose the recovery point that has the data that you need.
  2. Click Start File Restore.


Figure 5: Mount Recovery Point

  1. Click the Mount button, and make a note of the Samba Share information.


Figure 6: Samba Share information

Use Ontrack PowerControls to connect the data source and SQL Target

  1. In the Ontrack program, go to the File menu and click Open Source.


Figure 7: Open Source

  1. Navigate to the data source, choose the *.mdf file, and click Open.


Figure 8: Select the data file

  1. In the Data Wizard window, click the Add... button.


Figure 9: Data Wizard

  1. Add the log (*.ldf) file.


Figure 10: Add the *.LDF file

  1. You will see the Data Wizard with both the *.MDF and *.LDF files listed.


Figure 11: Source files added

  1. Click the Finish button. A green bar will display progress.


Figure 12: Open Source progress

Copy source to target

  1. The Data Wizard prompts you to select your target server. Enter your credentials to connect to the Microsoft SQL Server. Then, choose the database you need to restore. In Figure 13, it is connecting to the localhost and connecting to the DattoDummyDataSQL database.


Figure 13: Connect to Target Server

  1. When you click Finish, you will see a window with both the Source and Target visible. You can drag and drop the table you wish to restore. Figure 14 depicts a drag and drop of the dbo.employeesdemo table from the Datto file restoration to the DattoDummyDataSQL live database.


Figure 14: Moving a table from the file restore to the live database

Once you've dropped the file into the target, you'll see a progress window, as shown in Figure 15.


Figure 15: Copy Progress

  1. When the copy progress has finished, you have restored your data and can now click Close.

Additional Resources