For organizations seeking robust, on-premises control over their SQL Server database backups, integrating SQL Backup Master with MinIO offers a powerful and cost-effective solution. MinIO is a popular open-source object storage server that is fully compatible with the Amazon S3 API. This means you can leverage the flexibility and reliability of S3-compatible storage within your own data center, ensuring both data sovereignty and performance.

This article provides an introductory guide on how to configure SQL Backup Master to use MinIO for your SQL Server database backups, combining the strengths of both tools for a seamless backup strategy.

Getting Started with MinIO

Before you can point SQL Backup Master to your MinIO server, you'll need to have MinIO installed and running. MinIO is versatile and can be installed on various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS. For detailed installation instructions, it is recommended to consult the official MinIO documentation.

Once MinIO is installed, you will need to create a bucket for your backups and generate an Access Key and a Secret Key. These credentials will be used by SQL Backup Master to authenticate and upload files to your MinIO server.

Configuring SQL Backup Master for MinIO

With your MinIO server operational and your access credentials in hand, configuring SQL Backup Master is a straightforward process.

1. Open the Custom S3 Compatible Destination Settings: Within your backup job settings in SQL Backup Master, choose to add a new destination and select "S3 Compatible (Custom)".
2. Enter Your MinIO Credentials: In the settings window, you will need to provide the following information:
   • Access key: Enter the Access Key you generated in your MinIO server.
   • Secret key: Enter the corresponding Secret Key.
   • Bucket: Specify the name of the bucket you created in MinIO to store your SQL backups.
3. Configure the Service Endpoint:
   • Service address: This is the URL of your MinIO server. The format will typically be http://<your-minio-server-ip-or-hostname>:<port>. For a local MinIO installation, it might look something like http://192.168.1.100:9000.
   • Signature version: It's recommended to use Signature v4.
   • Bucket addressing: The default of Path style is generally suitable for MinIO.
4. Finalize and Test the Connection:
   • You can specify a Remote dir if you wish to organize backups within a specific folder inside your MinIO bucket.
   • Choose the Backup types (Full, Differential, Transaction Log) you want to send to this destination.
   • Click the Test button to ensure that SQL Backup Master can successfully connect to your MinIO server. If the test is successful, click Ok to save the destination settings.

Benefits of Using MinIO with SQL Backup Master

Integrating SQL Backup Master with MinIO for your SQL Server backups offers several key advantages:

• Data Sovereignty and Security: By hosting your own S3-compatible storage with MinIO, your backup data remains within your own infrastructure, giving you complete control over its security and access.
• Cost-Effectiveness: MinIO is open-source, providing a highly affordable alternative to cloud-based storage services, especially for large volumes of backup data.
• High Performance: Running MinIO on your local network can result in significantly faster backup and restore times compared to relying on internet-based cloud storage.
• Scalability: MinIO is designed for scalability, allowing you to expand your storage capacity as your backup needs grow.
• Familiarity and Ease of Use: For those already accustomed to S3-compatible services, MinIO offers a familiar interface and API, simplifying administration and integration.

By following this guide, you can effectively leverage the power of MinIO as a secure and efficient on-premises backup destination for your critical SQL Server databases using SQL Backup Master.