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Frequently-Asked Questions
LICENSING
If several instances of SQL Server are installed on a computer, do I need to buy a license for each instance?No. Under the license agreement, once license is enough for all instances of SQL Server operating on this computer.
I need to transfer the license from one SQL server to another. What should I do?You need to deactivate the license on the SQL server and activate it on the other SQL server.
Can I maintain databases with SQL Express (free) in one copy of QMB, and databases with SQL Server with a QMB commercial license?Yes, you can. But installation of updates to new versions of QMB with a commercial license presumes the availability of support. Versions released after the support period has expired will not work with SQL servers on which a commercial license is established. In this case we recommend installing two copies of QMB: one for Express editions, and the other for maintaining SQL servers with a QMB commercial license.
How many times can I activate or deactivate a license?You can deactivate or activate a license any number of times. But at any one time, an activation key may be activated only on one SQL Server.
Is a license associated with the hardware?Yes, at the time of activation the license is associated with the hardware.
I want to upgrade the SQL server's hardware. Will the program work after that?Yes, you can upgrade the hardware. For example, to increase memory or upgrade the disk subsystem. The program will work. Advance deactivation of the license is not required.
I lost the activation key. What should I do?Read this.
My SQL server permanently crashed, where the QMB license was installed. Can I restore the license?Yes. To do this, you need to contact support. Describe the situation and indicate the activation key.
Questions About QMB's Operation
General QuestionsMaintenance can be configured in SQL Server Management Studio. What do I need the program for?
Read the Introduction section in the description. Aside from that, QMB can maintain Express-edition SQL servers. This edition has no resources of its own for maintaining databases.
Does the program create maintenance plans on an SQL server?No. QMB does not create maintenance plans and does not use an SQL server agent. For launching T-SQL scripts, the program has its own service.
Does the program create any kind of database on an SQL server?No. QMB uses a file database.
Can I use a backup created by QMB on a different SQL server of the same version, but where the program is not installed?Yes, of course. All backup copies are made with standard T-SQL requests and can be recovered by SQL Server Management Studio.
Why does the maintenance-policy creation wizard prompt me to create full backups?It's because the assistant also sets up the recovery model for selected databases. Before creating backups of logs (in the full recovery model), a full backup has to be available, otherwise the task will end with a corresponding error. If you are sure that the recovery model has not changed for the selected databases and there is a full backup of it, you can uncheck the box "create full backup" in the assistant.
How can I have notifications go to several email addresses?It's enough to list them separated by semicolons in the program's settings.
For each task performed in a QMB job, is its connection set with the SQL server?No. The connection is established once, at the start of the QMB job.
What files are deleted by the “Removal of outdated backup copies” task?The task removes all outdated files with the bak extension found in the backup folder specified in a particular maintenance policy.
When does a backup copy become outdated?The expiry period for backup copies is set in the maintenance policy. A file becomes outdated if the date of its last modification is less than its expiry date. The expiry date is calculated in a way that enables files to be stored for at least one full period (day, week, month). This is way of preventing gaps in a chain of backups. For instance, if a policy has a period of 1 week and a full backup copy is created on Mondays, execution of the “Removal of outdated backup copies” task will delete the backups created before the last Monday, not Wednesday. The expiry date is calculated and passed to the script in place of the ?SaveBackupDate? marker.
Can I create two maintenance policies and use the same backup folder, but different expiry periods?Yes, the program allows you to do that. However, execution of the “Removal of outdated backup copies” task in a QMB Job of a maintenance policy with a shorter storage period will result in the removal of backups created by a policy with a longer storage period. To avoid this, set different backup folders for different maintenance policies.
Does QMB use xp_cmdshell?No, the stored procedure xp_cmdshell is not used, for safety considerations. For running batch files on the SQL Server side (CMD, VBScript, JavaScript, etc.), the stored procedure xp_qmb is used, which takes the script in encrypted form.
Installation
I plan to maintain several SQL servers. Where should I best install the program?You can install the program on any SQL server, or on any other machine. The important thing is that it should operate around the clock and be able to connect to the SQL servers being maintained.
To which user should I grant privileges, in order to use Windows authentication in QMB?Interaction with SQL servers goes through QMB Service. When the program is installed, you can specify a domain or local user, under which the service will run (by default QmbServiceUser). This user should be granted sysadmin privileges on the SQL servers, if Windows authentication is intended for them.
What rights does the user QmbServiceUser possess, under which QMB Service launches?The user is allowed entry as a service with full rights to the folder where QMB was installed.