SQL Server Backup Best Practice

In today's data-driven world, databases have become the backbone of businesses, with SQL Server being a popular relational database management system used by organizations of various sizes. As data volumes grow, it becomes increasingly important to protect databases from catastrophic losses. In this context, we need to focus on SQL Server backup best practices to ensure the safety and integrity of business data, including using third-party tools, such as EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise to do so.

5 SQL Server Backup Best Practices For All Enterprises Should Implement:

1. Regular backups

Schedule regular full, differential, and transaction log backups with reliable solution such as EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise to protect your data from threats such as viruses, hacker attacks, and hardware failures. Depending on the size of your organization, you might need daily, weekly, or even hourly backups. Make sure to test your backup routine periodically to ensure that it is functioning correctly.

2. Backup to different storage if possible

If the SQL Server crashes, especially due to a hardware problem or a severe OS problem, the local drives may not be available. Store backup copies offsite or in the cloud to safeguard your organization from natural disasters, fires, or theft. This practice ensures that you have a copy of your data available in case of a disaster at your primary location.

3. Backup testing and validation

A crucial component of backup and recovery involves consistently testing and validating your backups. It is unwise to assume backups are valid and restorable without verification. Utilize methods like restore with verify only, restore header only, restore label only, or restore file list only to examine the integrity and metadata of your backups. Additionally, conducting trial restores on a test server or alternate location will ensure your backups are usable and capable of recovering your databases to their desired state. Make sure to document and update your backup testing and validation procedures, as well as their results, to maintain an efficient and reliable recovery process.

4. Retention policy

It is equally crucial to establish a backup retention and archiving policy that outlines the duration and location for storing your backups. When determining your backup retention and archiving policy, consider factors such as legal, regulatory, business, and operational requirements, alongside storage capacity and cost. Additionally, guarantee that your backups are stored securely and reliably while remaining accessible when needed. Employ techniques such as backup expiration, backup deletion, backup copying, backup media management, or cloud storage to effectively manage your backup retention and archiving process.

5. Trust no one

Get an external FireWire or USB drive. Once a month, bring it into the office, hook it up to the server hosting the network share, and copy the entire backup share to that drive. It’ll take hours, and that’s OK. Take it home, or in today’s security-conscious world, take it to the bank and put it in a safe deposit box. Nobody should ever need to do this, but sometimes even the best backup administrators make mistakes.

Best Practice for SQL Server Backup with EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise

As a user-friendly backup software, EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise comprises the following useful functions:

• Simple, efficient, and secure.
• Schedule backup and different backup methods.
• Various backup destinations.
• cost-effective solution.

By following the steps below, you can efficiently and easily complete the backup of SQL server with EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise.

1. Install and launch EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise on the server where your MS SQL is running.

2. 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.

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

4. Click Schedule: Off to set up a regular backup. Click New under the Schedule catalog to set the backup scheme based on your needs. Also, there are different backup types Full, Incremental and Differential for backup.

5. Click Backup options on the bottom-left corner of the interface. You can change the performance, encryption, e-mail notification, and other options here for your created backups and newly created ones.

6. After finishing all settings, click Proceed to start this backup task. Then it will start to back up SQL server at the scheduled time.

Conclusion

In summary, this post has provided a comprehensive guide on how to perform a SQL server backup using EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise. By utilizing these advanced backup features, your operational efficiency can be significantly enhanced.

SQL Server Backup Best Practice FAQs

1. What are the different types of SQL Server backups?

The main types of backups include full, differential, incremental and transaction log backups.

2. How do I delete my old backup files?

To optimize storage and create more space, consider deleting any outdated backed-up tasks. Additionally, configure retention policies to automatically remove older backup versions.

3. How often should I perform a full backup of my SQL Server?

Ideally, schedule full backups on a weekly basis, or as per your organization's data protection policy.

4. How can I monitor the success of my SQL Server backups?

Use third-party tools like EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise to track backup status, receive notifications, and generate reports.