What Types Of Backups Does SQL Server Support?
SQL Server supports several types of backups that can be used to protect and recover data:
Full backup: A full backup creates a complete copy of all the data in a database, including the data and transaction log files. This type of backup is typically used as the starting point for a backup strategy, as it can be used to restore the entire database to a specific point in time.
Differential backup: A differential backup creates a copy of all the data that has changed since the last full backup. This type of backup can be used to restore a database to a specific point in time, but it requires the most recent full backup to be restored first.
Transaction log backup: A transaction log backup creates a copy of the transaction log, which is a record of all the changes made to the data in a database. This type of backup can be used to restore a database to a specific point in time, or to recover data that was lost due to a failure or data corruption.
File or filegroup backup: A file or filegroup backup creates a copy of a specific file or filegroup within a database. This type of backup can be useful if a specific file or filegroup is damaged or corrupted and needs to be restored without affecting the rest of the database.
Copy-only backup: A copy-only backup creates a full or differential backup without affecting the existing backup schedule. This type of backup can be useful for creating a backup for troubleshooting purposes or for creating a full backup of a database without affecting the existing backup schedule.
Incremental backup: An incremental backup creates a copy of only the data that has changed since the last incremental backup. This type of backup can be used to restore a database to a specific point in time, but it requires the most recent full backup and all incremental backups to be restored first.
Compressed backup : SQL server allows to create compressed backups, which reduces the size of the backup files and improves the backup performance.
All these backup types have their own benefits and can be used in different scenarios to protect and recover data. It's essential to have a good backup strategy in place that is appropriate for the organization's needs and to test the backups regularly to ensure they can be restored successfully.
How To Perform A Database Backup Method #1 - A Maintenance Plan
A maintenance plan in SQL Server is a set of tasks that can be scheduled to perform routine maintenance on a database, such as backing up the database, updating statistics, or checking for consistency. Here are the general steps to create a maintenance plan to backup a database:
Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and connect to the SQL Server instance that contains the database you want to backup.
In the Object Explorer, expand the Management folder and select Maintenance Plans.
Right-click on Maintenance Plans and select New Maintenance Plan. This will open the Maintenance Plan Wizard.
On the first page of the wizard, give the maintenance plan a name and a description.
On the next page, select the "Back Up Database Task" and click on "Next"
On the next page, select the database you want to backup and choose the type of backup you want to perform (e.g. full, differential, or transaction log)
On the next page, you can select the backup options, such as the backup compression, verify backup integrity, and more.
On the next page, you can specify the destination folder for the backup files.
On the next page, you can schedule when the backup will run. You can choose to run it daily, weekly, or monthly, or you can choose to run it on a specific date and time.
On the next page, you can configure notifications to be sent if the backup fails.
Review your settings and click on "Finish"
This will create a maintenance plan with a single task to backup the specified database. You can add additional tasks to the maintenance plan, such as updating statistics or checking for consistency, and you can also schedule them to run at different times. Once you have completed the maintenance plan, you can schedule it to run automatically at the specified times, which will ensure that the database is backed up regularly.
How To Perform A Database Backup Method #2 - GUI
In SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), you can perform a database backup by using the Backup Database wizard. Here are the general steps to perform a database backup:
Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and connect to the SQL Server instance that contains the database you want to backup.
In the Object Explorer, expand the Databases folder and select the database you want to backup.
Right-click on the database and select Tasks > Backup.
On the Backup Database dialog box, select the type of backup you want to perform (e.g. full, differential, or transaction log).
On the Destination section, you can specify the destination folder for the backup file and the filename, you also can choose to backup to disk, tape or URL.
On the Options section, you can select additional options, such as the backup compression, verify backup integrity, and more.
On the Media section, you can check the backup media set and the existing backup files.
Click on OK to begin the backup process.
The backup process will begin and the progress will be displayed in the Messages tab. Once the backup is complete, you should verify that the backup file is present in the specified location and that it can be restored successfully.