In this post, we would like to explain on how we can overcome the limitation of using the feature “backup to URL” in Maintenance Plan wizard in SQL 2012

Symptoms

We cannot take backups from maintenance plans using backup to URL to Azure Blob Storage using SQL 2012 Engine instance with 2012/2014/2016 SSMS.

Error: -

With SQL 2012, We do not have the option to backup to URL. With 2014/2016 SSMS we do have the option to backup to URL in maintenance plans but that would execute with success but not back up files on the blob.

The Maintenance plan gets executed successfully but does not give any error.

Cause

Maintenance plans in SQL 2012 does not have the option to use “Backup to URL” Feature. If we install SSMS 2014/2016 on the 2012 Engine instance, we will see the option but the backup will still not work to the azure blob.
By default, the backups will go to the disk even if we select the “backup to url” option.

Resolution

• I have written a T-SQL script to do the same. We can create an Agent Job and set up a schedule to back this up (Note: We can also you TSQL step and use the below script if we need to use Maintenance plan)
• We need to first create a credential in SQL Server which will authenticate to the blob storage to save the files. Use the below script for the same:

            Create a credential for the blob storage to be used during backup:

Navigate to SQL Jobs and create a new Job with T-SQL, set up a schedule and add the below script to back up all the databases except tempdb:

Sample Output

Related articles:

• Backup to URL with SQL 2012/Limitations: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj919148(v=sql.110).aspx
• Backup to URL Configuration/Troubleshooting: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj919149.aspx
• Backup and Restore with Blob Storage: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj919148(v=sql.110).aspx

Written by – Ujjwal Patel, Support Engineer.
Reviewed by – Raghavendra Srinivasan, Sr. Support Engineer.

Symptoms

Cannot Deploy DACPAC Extracted from SQL 2012 Server from .NET custom code or from SQLPackage.exe command to SQL 2014

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\110\DAC\bin>SqlPackage.exe /Action:Publish /SourceFile:”C:\temp\AgentLink2_11.0.6020.dacpac” /tsn:”RAGHAVSDC” /TargetDatabaseName:TestACM

Publishing to database ‘TestACM’ on server ‘RAGHAVSDC’.
The dac history table will not be updated.
Initializing deployment (Start)
Initializing deployment (Failed)
*** Could not deploy package.
Unable to connect to target server.

Cause

We don’t have a DAC Folder at location C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\120\ in the system but have the folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\110\DAC\bin (We can successfully publish to SQL 2012 but not SQL 2014)

Resolution

To reproduce the issue, please find a DAC folder at location C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\110\DAC\bin

Open a CMD with administrator privileges and navigate to this path and run the sqlpackage.exe to publish it to a SQL 2014/2016 server and we will get the same exact error

“*** Could not deploy package.

Unable to connect to target server.”

The above looks like to be a connectivity error at our first glance but this is not the case here. We tested the connectivity for this on multiple machines and didn’t find an issue with it. The solution to the problem is we need to install the DAC Framework https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/download/details.aspx?id=42293 and once installed, we will be able to see the DAC Folder at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\120\DAC\

We then can try to publish the DACPAC from sqlpackage.exe from the 120 Location and it gets published successfully.

More Information:

In the above scenario, we noticed that we can only publish the DACPAC for the version the DACPAC file was created for.

If we have taken a DACPAC for SQL 2012, then we can publish is to any higher version of SQL but it needs to be published from the 120 folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\120\DAC\Bin) if we want to publish to SQL 2014. If we are trying to publish the DACPAC taken from SQL 2012 to 2016 then we need to publish the package from the 130 Folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\130\DAC\Bin)

DACPAC is a feature of our Data Tier application which will allow us to backup the schema of our database. In simple terms, it is only database schema (definition without the data) which can be used on higher versions of SQL Server. SQLPackage.exe is a utility which allows us to automate database development and projects in our environment.

Related articles:

SQLPackage.exe: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh550080(v=vs.103).aspx

Data Tier Applications: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee210546.aspx

Design and Implementation for DACPAC: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee210546(v=sql.110).aspx

DAC Framework download: https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/download/details.aspx?id=42293

Written by – Ujjwal Patel, Support Engineer.
Reviewed by – Raghavendra, , Sr. Support Engineer.]]> https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/ujpat/sql-server-service-fails-to-start-after-applying-patch-error-create-schema-failed-due-to-previous-errors Sun, 22 Jan 2017 10:09:10 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ujpat/?p=215  

In this post we would like to explain one of the interesting issues that we encountered while upgrading a SQL Server Instance.

Symptoms

SQL Server Service fails to start after applying SQL patch due to misconfiguration in MSDB.

Error:-

2016-06-28 19:23:41.22 spid5s    Script level upgrade for database ‘master’ failed because upgrade step ‘msdb110_upgrade.sql’ encountered error 2714, state 6, severity 25. Severity: 16, State: 0.
2016-06-28 19:23:41.22 spid5s    CREATE SCHEMA failed due to previous errors.
2016-06-28 19:23:41.22 spid5s    Error: 912, Severity: 21, State: 2.
2016-06-28 19:23:41.22 spid5s    Script level upgrade for database ‘master’ failed because upgrade step ‘msdb110_upgrade.sql’ encountered error 2714, state 6, severity 25. This is a serious error condition which might interfere with regular operation and the database will be taken offline. If the error happened during upgrade of the ‘master’ database, it will prevent the entire SQL Server instance from starting. Examine the previous error log entries for errors, take the appropriate corrective actions and re-start the database so that the script upgrade steps run to completion.

2016-06-28 19:23:41.22 spid5s    Error: 3417, Severity: 21, State: 3.
2016-06-28 19:23:41.22 spid5s    Cannot recover the master database. SQL Server is unable to run. Restore master from a full backup, repair it, or rebuild it. For more information about how to rebuild the master database, see SQL Server Books Online.

2016-06-28 19:23:41.22 spid5s    SQL Server shutdown has been initiated·

Cause

• The upgrade script [msdb110_upgrade.sql] executes during the first restart of SQL after the service pack installation.
• This script hits an exception during recreation of database role called “DatabaseMailUserRole”.
• This is due to the fact that the schema named “DatabaseMailUserRole” was owned by other database role then “DatabaseMailUserRole” – DBO role in our case.

Resolution

1. Start the SQL server service using Trace flag -T902 ( 902 : Used to skip execution of any scripts during SQL Startup)

Or follow these steps:

· Open SQL Server Configuration Manager.

· In SQL Server Configuration Manager, click SQL Server Services.

· Double-click the SQL Server service.

· In the SQL Server Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab.

· On click the Advanced tab, locate the Startup Parameters item.

· Add ;-T902 to the end of the existing string value, and then click OK.

· Restart the SQL server service

2. Connect to the SQL instance and backup the MSDB database

3. Manually delete the schema named “DatabaseMailUserRole”

Management studio > Expand MSDB Database > Go to Security > Schemas > Look for DatabaseMailuserRole

4. Now delete the schema named DatabaseMailuserRole.

5. Restart the SQL Server service.

More information

• Starting SQL Server 2008 onwards, whenever we upgrade or apply a patch on SQL, it upgrades only the binaries and not the database and its objects.
• Once the upgrade completes and the service restarts for the first time, it starts the database upgrade using script msdb110_upgrade.sql which is located under

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQLXX.YYYY\MSSQL\Install\

XX : SQL Version 
SQL 2008/R2  >10
SQL 2012       >11
SQL 2014       > 12

————————————————————–
— Database Mail roles and permissions
————————————————————–
— Create the DatabaseMailUserRole role
IF (EXISTS (SELECT *
FROM msdb.dbo.sysusers
WHERE (name = N’DatabaseMailUserRole’)
AND (issqlrole = 1)))
BEGIN — there are no members in the role, then drop and re-create it
IF ((SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM msdb.dbo.sysusers   su,
            msdb.dbo.sysmembers sm
WHERE (su.uid = sm.groupuid)
AND (su.name = N’DatabaseMailUserRole’)
AND (su.issqlrole = 1)) = 0)
BEGIN
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sp_droprole @rolename = N’DatabaseMailUserRole’  
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sp_addrole @rolename = N’DatabaseMailUserRole’  << **************Point of failure
END
END
ELSE
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sp_addrole @rolename = N’DatabaseMailUserRole’

• The command “SP_ADDROLE” fails as it also creates schema named “DatabaseMailUserRole” which already exists in the MSDB database.
• The previous command “SP_DROPROLE” was unable to delete the schema “DatabaseMailUserRole” as it was owned by other database role– DBO role in our case.

Steps to repro the error:-

1. Change the schema owner of “DatabaseMailUserRole” to DBO

USE [msdb]
GO
ALTER AUTHORIZATION ON SCHEMA::[DatabaseMailUserRole] TO [dbo]
GO

2. Try to execute the below statement  and we hit the same error:

EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sp_droprole @rolename = N’DatabaseMailUserRole’  
EXECUTE msdb.dbo.sp_addrole @rolename = N’DatabaseMailUserRole’  <<<**************Point of failure

Related articles:

• Using the SQL Server Service Startup Options https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190737(v=sql.105).aspx
• How to: Configure Server Startup Options (SQL Server Configuration Manager) https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms345416(v=sql.105).aspx
• ALTER AUTHORIZATION (Transact-SQL) https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187359.aspx
• sp_addrole (Transact-SQL) https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms189743.aspx

Written by:
Ujjwal Patel, Support Engineer, SQL Server Support

Reviewed by:
Raghavendra Srinivasan, Support Engineer, SQL Server Support

In this post, we would like to explain one of the interesting issues that we encountered while using the automated backup feature for a VM from the azure portal (We can find the option once we click on VM > SQL Server Configuration> Automated Backup)

Symptoms

Cannot Configure Automated backups in azure VM from the portal which was created on ARM (Azure Resource Manager Model)

Error:-

• TYPE

Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/extensions

• RESOURCE ID

/subscriptions/6c28b945-6d98-403d-8936-5e658f228a0f/resourceGroups/Group/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/LTO-CT-SQL/extensions/SqlIaasExtension

• STATUSMESSAGE

{ "status": "Failed", "error": { "code": "ResourceDeploymentFailure", "message": "The resource operation completed with terminal provisioning state 'Failed'.", "details": [ { "code": "VMExtensionHandlerNonTransientError", "message": "Handler 'Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlIaaSAgent' has reported failure for VM Extension 'SqlIaasExtension' with terminal error code '1009' and error message: 'Enable failed for plugin (name: Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlIaaSAgent, version 1.2.10.0) with exception Command C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlIaaSAgent\\1.2.10.0\\enable.cmd of Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlIaaSAgent has exited with Exit code: 255'" } ] } }

• RESOURCE

LTO-CT-SQL/SqlIaasExtension

• OPERATION ID

B3B967D4EF42741A

Cause

SQL IAAS Agent Service was disabled and did not starts due to insufficient permissions.

Resolution

To reproduce the issue,

We deployed a VM on our end and navigated to VM > SQL Server Configuration> Automated Backup and this failed with a similar error:

Error", "message": "Handler 'Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlIaaSAgent' has reported failure for VM Extension 'SqlIaasExtension' with terminal error code '1009' and error message: 'Enable failed for plugin (name: Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlIaaSAgent, version 1.2.10.0) with exception

statusMessage:{"status":"Failed","error":{"code":"ResourceDeploymentFailure","message":"The resource operation completed with terminal provisioning state 'Failed'.","details":[{"code":"VMExtensionHandlerNonTransientError","message":"Handler 'Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlIaaSAgent' has reported failure for VM Extension 'SqlIaasExtension' with terminal error code '1009' and error message: 'Enable failed for plugin (name: Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlIaaSAgent, version 1.2.10.0) with exception Command C:\\Packages\\Plugins\\Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlIaaSAgent\\1.2.10.0\\enable.cmd of Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlIaaSAgent has exited with Exit code: -532462766'"}]}}

We then went to the VM and checked the event viewer application and system logs and found the below errors:

The Microsoft SQL Server IaaS Agent service failed to start due to the following error:

The service did not start due to a logon failure.

The SQLIaaSExtension service was unable to log on as NT Service\SQLIaaSExtension with the currently configured password due to the following error:

Logon failure: the user has not been granted the requested logon type at this computer.

Service: SQLIaaSExtension

Domain and account: NT Service\SQLIaaSExtension

This service account does not have the required user right "Log on as a service."

The above clearly indicates that SQLIAASEXTENSION account needs to have the permissions in security policy.

We went to Run> Secpol.msc> Under Security settings looked for Local Policies > User Rights Assignment > Log on as a service (In right pane) >Right click and go to its properties and this account with Admin permissions

We then again tried to create automated backup and did not see the error in event viewer.

Now to figure out where is this account used, we looked at services.msc and found the account is used by Microsoft SQL IAAS Agent service.

We saw the service is in a stopped state.

Now researching on this, we found SQL Server IAAS Agent service can help us to automate some administrative tasks, for example run jobs, monitors SQL Server, and processes alerts. When we enable Automated Backup on virtual machine, the extension will be automatically installed but somehow it didn’t start in our scenario due to the account permission issues.We started the service and then tried to configure the automated backups from the azure portal and saw it completed successfully without any errors.

In case if it still fails even after that then the next step is to Look at the locations C:\WindowsAzure\Logs and C:\Packages\Plugins for any errors in the IAAS VM.

More Information:

We require the Microsoft SQL IAAS Agent service in running state for enabling automated backups and its functioning. When we enable Automated Backup on our virtual machine, the extension will be automatically installed.

Automated Backup automatically configures Managed Backup to Microsoft Azure for all existing and new databases on an Azure VM running SQL Server 2014 Standard or Enterprise. This enables us to configure regular database backups that utilize durable Azure blob storage. Automated Backup depends on the SQL Server IaaS Agent Extension.

Related articles:

More information on Automated Backups: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/documentation/articles/virtual-machines-windows-sql-automated-backup/

More information on IAAS Agent Service: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/documentation/articles/virtual-machines-windows-sql-server-agent-extension/

Written by – Ujjwal Patel, Support Engineer.

Reviewed by – Raghavendra, , Sr. Support Engineer.