Using the SafeToSQL

Utility
Technical Solution
Contents
Implementing the
SafeToSQL Utility..............1
Using SafeToSQL..............1
SafeToSQL Examples .......3
This Technical Solution provides the information you need to
successfully use the SafeToSQL utility.
The SAFETOSQL utility helps you easily convert your SQLSAFE
archive files for use with Microsoft SQL Server. With
SAFETOSQL, you can use a simple command line statement to
save your archive files in .bak format, ensuring they are
stored in an industry-wide format.
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Using the SafeToSQL Utility Technical Solution Version 4.5

Implementing the SafeToSQL Utility
Use the following requirements and installation procedure to implement the SafeToSQL utility in your
production SQL Server environment.

How SafeToSQL Works

SafeToSQL provides a quick and easy way to convert SQLSAFE archive files to the format used by
Microsoft SQL Server. The conversion SafeToSQL performs is useful when you are sending your archive
files to someone that may not have SQLSAFE installed, and needs to access the archive files for
troubleshooting or data migration purposes.
You can execute this conversion though a simple command-line statement from the command shell or
in a batch file. When SafeToSQL converts the .safe file, the utility appends the name of the backup set
index to the .bak file name.

SafeToSQL Requirements
Installing and running SafeToSQL requires .NET Framework 2.0, but does not require that you install
SQLsafe. Because SafeToSQL will expand your SQLsafe backups to the same size as native backups, you
should ensure adequate disk space is available for the converted backups.

Installing SafeToSQL
You can install the SafeToSQL utility from the main setup program.
To install SafeToSQL:
1. Log on with an administrator account to the computer on which you want to install SafeToSQL.
2. Run Setup.exe in the root of the installation kit.
3. On the Install screen, click Install SafeToSQL Utility.
4. Read the Welcome window, and then click Next.
5. Review and accept the license agreement by clicking I accept the terms in the license agreement,
and then click Next.
6. Choose the destination folder, and then click Next.
7. Click Install.

Using SafeToSQL
The SafeToSQL utility converts SQLSAFE formatted archive (.safe) files to Microsoft SQL Server
formatted backup (.bak) files. This utility works for backups created with SQLSAFE version 1.5 or later.
To use the SafeToSQL utility, run the Command Prompt, and then type the appropriate command
syntax for the conversion you need to execute.

Technical Solution Using the SafeToSQL Utility 1

Understanding SafeToSQL File Name Syntax
SQLSAFE uses the following file naming convention for SQLSAFE backup files it converts to Microsoft SQL
Server backup files:
filename_#.bak

Where the file name components are as follows:

filename
Specifies the name of the source archive file.
#

Specifies the name of the backup set index.

Understanding SafeToSQL Syntax

Use the following syntax when converting a SQLSAFE archive file:
SafeToSQL source_file_path [-backupfile file_name] [-backupset #] [-password pwd] [-list]

Where the following option is mandatory:

source_file_path
Defined as the complete directory path and file name of the SQLSAFE archive containing the backup
set to convert to Microsoft SQL Server backup format.

Understanding SafeToSQL Options

The SafeToSQL utility provides the following options.
-backupfile filename

The backupfile option provides the names of additional files in multi-file archives. You must specify
each file in a multi-file archive and provide the complete path to the file.
-backupset #

The backupset option specifies the index (1-based) of the backup set in an archive containing
multiple backup sets. If you do not specify the backup set index, the backup set defaults to 1, the
index of the first backup set in the archive.
-password pwd

The password option specifies the password for decrypting an encrypted backup set. If the backup
set is encrypted, provide the password you specified during backup.
-list

If the list option is specified, SafeToSQL prints out the complete contents of the archive specified
by source_file_path.

Understanding Threaded Backup Sets

SQLsafe has the capability of creating multi-threaded backup set to multiple virtual devices. When that
backup set is converted using SafeToSQL, multiple SQL Server backup files will be created, one for each
virtual device.

2 Using the SafeToSQL Utility Technical Solution

Understanding Multiple Backup File Output
SQLSAFE uses multiple processing threads to apply compression and encryption settings during a
backup operation. During the backup, SQL Server divides the data between separate backup devices.
SQLSAFE then writes the finished backup from all of these devices into a single archive file. When
SafeToSQL converts the .SAFE file to native format, a separate .BAK file is created for each device or
thread that was used during the original backup. This approach ensures the information can be restored
to SQL Server using the same number of devices that were used for the backup. This is a SQL Server
requirement.

SafeToSQL Examples
Use the following scenarios as examples for using SafeToSQL.

Converting an Archive with a Single Backup Set

To convert an encrypted archive that contains the pubs database as the single backup set, type the
following command at the command prompt:
SafeToSQL "d:\sqlsafe_backup\LT1_pubs_01_enc.safe" -password my_password

The path and name of the converted file is:

d:\sqlsafe_backup\LT1_pubs_01_enc_1.bak

Converting an Archive with Multiple Backup Sets

To convert an archive that contains the northwind database as the second backup set in the archive,
type the following command at the command prompt:
SafeToSQL "d:\sqlsafe_backup\LT1_multi_01.safe" -backupset 2

The path and name of the converted file is:

d:\sqlsafe_backup\LT1_multi_01_2.bak

To list the contents of the archive, type the following command at the command prompt:
SafeToSQL "d:\sqlsafe_backup\LT1_multi_01.safe" –list

Converting an Archive Saved across Multiple Files

To convert an archive saved in the directory in two files, type the following command at the command
prompt:
SafeToSQL “d:\sqlsafe_backup\ pubs_a.safe” –additionalfile “d:\sqlsafe_backup\ pubs_b.safe”

The path and names of the converted files are:

d:\sqlsafe_backup\ pubs_a_1.bak and d:\sqlsafe_backup\ pubs_b_1.bak

Technical Solution Using the SafeToSQL Utility 3