How to Backup Microsoft SQL Server 2019

How to Backup Microsoft SQL Server 2019

Ensuring the security of all data in your MS SQL Server database is crucial, and knowing how to backup your MS SQL Server is key. This article provides an introduction to MS SQL Server backup, highlights the importance of keeping backups, and presents practical methods for performing the task, including utilizing EaseUS Microsoft SQL Server Backup solution.

What Is Microsoft SQL Backup?

The process of Microsoft (MS) SQL backup ensures the security of all data stored in your production Microsoft SQL Server databases by creating complete and protected copies. 

An MS SQL backup solution safeguards SQL Server databases and their corresponding log files, allowing for database-level recovery at any time and from any location. The objective of having an MS SQL Server backup solution is to meet your organization's data retention, privacy, and strategic needs while supporting developmental and testing activities and ensuring cost-effective compliance with regulatory requirements.

Why Is Microsoft SQL Backup Important?

Microsoft SQL Backup is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it protects your data in case of unexpected events such as system crashes, hard drive failures, or natural disasters. Without a backup, you risk losing all your data, which could be catastrophic for your business. Secondly, it allows you to recover specific data or files quickly and efficiently, without having to reconstruct everything from scratch. Finally, it helps you meet regulatory compliance requirements, as many industries require regular backups to ensure data security and privacy. In short, Microsoft SQL Backup is vital for protecting your data, ensuring business continuity, and complying with legal and regulatory requirements.

Create an Automatic Backup Plan for Microsoft SQL

The simplest way to backup SQL databases is to use a professional backup tool - EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise. This backup program is designed specifically for backing up Windows Server, Workstations, and Server applications like Microsoft Exchange email and SQL databases.

SQL DB backup tips: Be sure to keep the backup file on a different disk than the one on which the database is stored. This way, your data will remain intact in a disk crash.

Here are the steps:

User Authentication
Click NEW TASK > SQL in the menu. An authentication box will pop up. Input a valid Windows administrator or a SQL server account to get through the authentication. The authentication can also be finished by the function TOOLS > SQL Credential Manager.

Start backup
After authenticating, you will be presented with a SQL backup function.

1. Specify the task/plan name and Description.
2. Check the Instance or database you want to back up.
3. Specify where to save the image file. A Local disk, Network directory or Tape drive can be set as the backup destination. Click the Down Arrow to get the destination history.
4.Click Proceed to finish the setting. The backup will be executed immediately if the schedule is not configured.

Start recovery
This is a recovery process of SQL backup.

1. Locate the plan backup plan and click Recovery.
2. Choose one History version of the SQL images.
3. Specify which Instance and Path to recover. The Overwrite function can be checked if you need to overwrite the existing database with the same name.
4. Confirm every detail about the current recovery, click Proceed to implement it. EaseUS Todo Backup will automatically finish the recovery.

Using SQL Server Management Studio

1. After connecting to the appropriate instance of the Microsoft SQL Server Database Engine, in Object Explorer, expand the server tree.
2. Expand Databases, and either select a user database or expand System Databases and select a system database.
3. Right-click the database that you wish to backup, point to Tasks, and then select Back Up....
4. In the Back Up Database dialog box, the database that you selected appears in the drop-down list (which you can change to any other database on the server).
5. In the Backup type drop-down list, select a backup type - the default is Full.
6. Under Backup component, select Database.
7. In the Destination section, review the default location for the backup file (in the ../mssql/data folder).
8. You can use the Back up to drop-down list to select a different device. Select Add to add backup objects and or destinations. You can stripe the backup set across multiple files for increased backup speed.
9. To remove a backup destination, select it and select Remove. To view the contents of an existing backup destination, select it and select Contents.
10. Select OK to start the backup.
11. When the backup completes successfully, select OK to close the SQL Server Management Studio dialog box.

How to Back Up SQL Server Using T-SQL Command

To create a SQL Server full backup, you need to use the BACKUP DATABASE command. This command backs up the database, including data files, transaction logs, and other SQL Server-related files.

Let's now see how to create a full backup of SQL Server using T-SQL with an example. For this example, we will use the AdventureWorks2012 database. The following query creates a full SQL Server database backup:

BACKUP DATABASE AdventureWorks2012

TO DISK = 'C:\AdventureWorks2012_full_backup.bak'

WITH FORMAT,

MEDIANAME = 'Adventureworks Full Backup media',

NAME = 'Adventureworks Full Backup';

GO  

Conclusion

There are many methods for SQL Server backup available. You can use a reliable and simple backup solution, EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise, to backup and restore SQL Server easily without dazzling command lines. 

How to Back up Microsoft SQL Server FAQs

1. Can you backup a SQL database while it is in use?

Performing a backup operation has minimal effect on transactions that are running; therefore, backup operations can be run during regular operations. You can perform a SQL Server backup with minimal effect on production workloads.

2. How often should I back up my SQL databases?

The frequency of SQL backups depends on the amount of data being processed and the criticality of the data. Generally, it is recommended to perform full backups weekly or daily and transaction log backups every few hours.

3. Where should I store SQL backups?

SQL backups should be stored on a separate server or medium from the primary database to protect against hardware failures or issues with the primary database. Cloud storage or offsite backups are also recommended for disaster recovery purposes.

4. What are the supported backup methods in Todo Backup Enterprise?

We offer Full, Differential, Incremental backups.