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Question mark in Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server meaning

KB ID: 2788
Product: Veeam Backup & Replication
Published: 2018-11-22
Last Modified: 2022-04-11
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Challenge

In Veeam Explorer for SQL, some databases may be listed with a question mark.
Question Mark
Despite the question mark and warning, some restore operations may still function. However, some restore details may not auto-populate due to the lack of metadata.

Cause

The question mark indicates that metadata was not collected for that database.

Solution

Expected Behavior for VeeamBackup Database
The Veeam Backup & Replication configuration database, by default named VeeamBackup, is always excluded from Application-Aware Processing. As such, it will always be listed with a question mark within the Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server browser. 

Scenario 1: Insufficient SQL Permissions (Most Common Scenario)

  • Ensure that the account selected within the Guest Processing tab of the Backup Job has the required permissions (sysadmin) within the SQL Instance on the machine being backed up.
    • Administrator role on the target VM.
    • Sysadmin role on the target Microsoft SQL Server.

 

Scenario 2: Restore From Storage Snapshot

  • If the restore is being performed from storage snapshots created with snapshot-only jobs, the warning message referencing this KB article will be shown even if VMs in the storage snapshot are in an application-consistent state.

 

Scenario 3: Database Exclusions (Rare)

By default the Database Exclusions menu option is not present. If the menu option is not present, you may ignore this Scenario.

  • If there is an entry for Database Exclusions in the Veeam Backup & Replication Main Menu, review the Database Exclusions to determine if any of the databases marked with a question mark were excluded. Databases excluded using this menu option will be excluded from Application-Aware Processing, and as such no metadata is collected.

More Information

  • Metadata for databases located on the excluded disks is still collected, and those databases will appear in the Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server database list. However, restore operations for databases that were on those excluded disks will fail.
  • If Application-Aware Processing was disabled for the selected restore point, the databases will be listed with a magnifying glass next to the database icon. Some restore options may still be available, but details will not automatically populate. Database names shown in the list with a magnifying glass are based on the MDF file name and may not match the production database if it was renamed.
No Application Aware Processing
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