Application-Consistent MaxDB Backups on Azure
MaxBack extends Azure Backup with SAP MaxDB awareness. Get application-consistent VM snapshots, automatic log management, and automatic database recovery — using your existing Azure Backup policies.
The Challenge
Azure Backup sees the VM — but not the MaxDB database inside it
Crash-Consistent Snapshots
Azure Backup creates VM snapshots, but without a VSS Writer for MaxDB the snapshots are crash-consistent. Restores are treated as a crash restart — which may fail on large workloads.
Log Volume Growth on Azure
Unmanaged transaction logs consume Azure managed disk space. Growing an Azure managed disk is easy — but shrinking is not possible. Costs only go up.
No Point-in-Time Recovery
Without external backup integration, MaxDB has no backup history — there is no way to recover the database to a specific point in time after a VM restore.
No Backup Visibility in SAP
Without writing the backup history into MaxDB, backup information is not available for SAP monitoring tools and not visible in the database administration.
How MaxBack Solves This
MaxBack is the officially recommended Azure Backup integration for SAP MaxDB. Install it, apply the AzureBackup config set, and Azure Backup produces application-consistent snapshots
Application-Consistent Snapshots
MaxBack registers as a VSS Writer with Windows. When Azure Backup triggers a VSS snapshot, MaxBack coordinates with MaxDB to ensure all database changes are redirected to a consistent snapshot — and logs the backup in the database history.
Automatic Log Management
Transaction logs are backed up before each snapshot. Log truncation after full backups is enabled by default but optional — Azure Backup does not report backup completion to VSS Writers, so truncation is based on the snapshot event only.
Autorecovery After VM Restore
Restore an Azure VM from the Recovery Services vault and MaxBack autorecovery detects the restore. The database is recovered and prepared for start or optional point-in-time log recovery.
Setup in Three Commands
Connect MaxBack to your database, install the license, and apply the AzureBackup configuration set. Your existing Azure Backup policies will automatically produce application-consistent MaxDB snapshots.
- Log backup before each VM snapshot
- Optional log truncation after full backups
- Backup history written into MaxDB
- Autorecovery enabled for VM restore scenarios
maxback.vssclient db connect
maxback.vssclient license install -f license.lic
maxback.vssclient options configset -s AzureBackup
Protect Your MaxDB Databases on Azure
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