In a federated-database-server tier that is built by using distributed partitioned views, the member servers form one logical unit. Therefore, you must coordinate the recovery of the member databases to make sure that they remain synchronized correctly.
SQL Server 2005 does not require that you coordinate backups across member servers. Backups can be independently taken from each database, without regard for the state of the other member databases. Because the backups do not have to be synchronized, there is no processing overhead for synchronization and no blockage of running tasks.
The most important aspect of recovering a set of member databases is the same as recovering any other database: Plan and test the recovery procedures before you put the databases into production. You must set up processes to restore all the databases to the same logical point in time. SQL Server includes features to support the recovery of all member databases to the same point in time.
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