Azure Synapse Analytics - Restore Point

In this article, we’ll learn about Restore Point. We’ll learn what it is, how to create a user defined restore point for a Dedicated SQL Pool Data Warehouse and then continue to learn how to restore from the user-defined restore point.  

Azure Synapse Analytics 

Azure Synapse is a limitless enterprise analytics service that enables us to get insight from data analytics and data warehousing. Using dedicated resources or serverless architecture, data can be queried and provides scalability as per the increase in the size of the data. You can learn more about it in the previous article, Azure Synapse Analytics. 

SQL Pool 

In order to create data warehouses, Dedicated SQL Pool is created in Azure Synapse Analytics. Formerly known as SQL DW, the SQL Pool is created with a set compute resources that are well defined.  And then in the Logical SQL server and Azure resource group, the database is then created. 

This article is a part of the Azure Synapse Analytics Articles Series. You can check out other articles in the series from the following links.  

1. Azure Synapse Analytics  
2. Azure Synapse Analytics - Create Dedicated SQL Pool  
3. Azure Synapse Analytics - Creating Firewall at Server-level  
4. Azure Synapse Analytics - Connect, Query and Delete Data Warehouse SQL Pool  
5. Azure Synapse Analytics – Load Dataset to Warehouse from Azure Blob Storage  
6. Azure Synapse Analytics - Best Practices to Load Data into SQL Pool Data Warehouse 
7. Azure Synapse Analytics – Restore Point 

Restore Point 

Restore Point can be understood as a backup copy for any system. Here in our case of SQL Pool, it is the copy of the data warehouse at the specific time we set the restore point for. This restore point comes greatly handy when we need to restore the system to an earlier point of time in case of any instability, unwanted deletion or corruption of data or any form of failures.  

There are basically two types of restore points for SQL Pool Data Warehouse in Azure Synapse Analytics. One of it is the Automatic Restore Point which Azure itself creates while other is the user-defined restore point which is a restore point that we can create manually at any time. Let us dive into learning how we can create and use the user-defined restore points ahead. 

Creating User-Defined Restore Point

Step 1

As we create our Dedicated SQL Pool resource, visit the SQL pool warehouse page.  

Here on top we can see the New Restore Point option. Click on that.  

Step 2

A dialog box will pop up on the right-hand side to fill the name for the restore point. It is best to apply the time and date of the restore point you want to create for future reference from the name itself.  

One you fill the name, click on Apply.  

Step 3 

Now, the process of restore point creation takes place. We can see the update in the notification.  

Step 4 

Once, the restore point is created, the update of the success can also be seen in the notification bar.  

Restoring to User-defined Restore Point 

Step 5 

Now to switch to the restore point in any circumstances, the restore points we create earlier will come handy. To perform this, visit the page of the SQL Pool Warehouse. Here, you’ll see Restore Option in the Menu bar. Click that.  

Step 6 

Now, you’ll be prompted with details to fill in.  

Step 7

Select the User-defined restore points, Choose the Restore Point you want to restore to from the option that is available.  

Step 8 

Next, you need to create a new server. The old server won’t do. So for that, Click on Create new under Server.  

Step 9 

A new tab will pop up on the right hand side. Here, fill in the new server name, your server admin login and password. Also select the location where you want to setup the new server. Once done, Click on Select.  

Step 10 

Now, as all the detail are filled, Click on Review + Restore.  

Step 11 

As validation is done, Click on Create SQL Database – Restore Database.  

Step 12 

Now, the deployment process will initialize.  

You can see the progress in the deployment page.  

Step 13 

Now, as the restore point is loaded, notification will pop up.  

 You can then check the Resource and confirm the restore is successful.  

Conclusion 

Thus, in this article, we learned about Restore Point and the types of restore point available in Azure for SQL Pool Datawarehouse. Here, we first learnt to create a user-defined Restore Point and later went through a step-by-step process to restore to the user defined-restore point.