How to back up SQL Server databases
Uranium can back up an unlimited number of Microsoft
SQL Server databases, and can also execute stored procedures or queries, with
these great benefits:
- No service interruption: database backup can be done even if the database
server is running. The program doesn't affect server or client performances,
because it requires minimal resources.
- No requisite required: Uranium doesn't require SQL Server client
components (come Management Studio), neither other libraries or components. It
can perform the backup from any computer in the network or even remotely.
- Integrated compression and encryption: automatic zip compression of the
backup files. For SQL Server 2008 it is also available the native "on-the-fly"
compression of the backup files. Strong AES 256 bit encryption.
- Fully compatible: Uranium creates backup files in fully standard
compliant format, and so you can restore these files also with Microsoft tools,
like Enterprise Manager/Management Studio. No proprietary formats and the
certainty to always have compatible backups.
- All editions: compatible with all versions of MS SQL Server database:
7.0, SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, Express Edition.
- Any destination: automatic copy and/or synchronization of the backup
files to multiple destinations, like Tape, DVD, network computers, FTP servers,
etc....
- Scheduled and automatic backups: scheduled backup execution depending on
days, hours, minutes. Integrated scheduler and "run as service".
- E-mail notifications: at the end of each backup operation Uranium can
send a notification by e-mail (reporting possible errors) to one or more
recipients, depending on various conditions.
Creating a SQL Server backup is very easy, because you have simply to add
a special item in the item list, using the appropriate link or menu voice shown in the image below:
Once you have clicked on the menu voice, Uranium will show the following
configuration window:
Now let's see how to configure all the options.
First of all you will have to set up the connection parameters for SQL Server: in
order to do this you have to do three simple steps:
- In the first drop-down list you will be able to select the SQL Server instance name,
if this is present in your network. If instead you want to connect to a remote server, you’ll have
to insert its IP address manually.
- Authentication method: you can decide if use the Windows integrated authentication
(for example if the database server is in your same domain) or the SQL Server
specific authentication, specifying an user name and a password. If you use the
integrated authentication you will have to select the option “Trusted
Connection” you can find clicking on the little button on the right of the
button "Refresh".
- Finally you have to select or to type manually the name of the database you want
to backup. You can do it in a very simple way in the specific drop-down list.
The first entry in the list allows you to select the backup of all databases. In this case,
you have the additional possibility to configure a filter to exclude
one or more databases from the backup:
OOnce the database server connection has been configured (you can verify it using
the little button on the upper right corner), you can click on the button "Next", and then select
the operation type you want to do:
Select the operation "Database backup" and click "Next".
You will be able to configure the various backup
options in the next panel, shown in the image below:
- Backup file path on the server: here you can insert the path where
you want to save the database backup file on the computer where SQL Server is running
(N.B.: not on the computer where you are configuring Uranium, if this one is different
from that one on which the database server is installed). The software gives you the
possibility to select this path through an appropriate button, on condition that
the C$ administrative share is enabled on the network server. Othrwise you
can also type the path manually (the path must exist,
otherwise the backup will generate an error) or you can leave this text field empty (the
SQL Server default backup path will be used, usually C:\Program Files\Microsoft
SQL Server \ MSSQL \ Backup).
- Backup file name: in this text field you can type the name of the
backup file. If you leave it empty the backup file will have the same name of the
database.
- TimeStamp to add to file name: with this option a timestamp can
be added to the name of the backup file, with days, hours, minutes, second, months,
years (yyyy = 4 digit years; yy = 2 digit years; dd = day number in the month;
dddd = weekday name; hh = hours; nn = minutes; mm = month number;
mmmm = month name;
ss = seconds; ww = number of the week in the year; w = weekday number). If for example
you want to make a new backup for every day of the week, you could set up “dddd”.
In this way 7 backup files will be maintained, and they could have the following
names: Database-Monday, Database-Tuesday, etc….
- Compress (zip) backup file: once backup is complete, program will
compress the created file in zip format. The temporary file is deleted. In the Backup
Set options it is possible to set various options regarding zip compression.
- Encrypt zip file: if the previous compression option is set, it
is possible to decide if encrypt the zip file (whole-file encryption), to make it totally inaccessible to
unauthorized users. For this encryption it's used the key that can be set in the
program's general options. The encrypted zip file can be decrypted only through
the proper Uranium decryption utility.
- Use native compression of the backup file (2008 Enterprise only)
Checking this option, the backup files will be created on disk already compressed,
because it will be used the native "on-the-fly" compression (available only on SQL Server
2008 Enterprise).
- Shrink database: checking this option you can do a database
compression before or after the backup. This option can be useful in order to reduce
the database size, if for example many data modifications or deletions have been
carried out recently.
In the final panel, you can set some other important options:br />
- CContinue backup in case of errors: this option allows the
program to complete
the backup even if (non-critical) errors occur. This option is available only
for SQL Server 2005/2008 and generally it is not recommended.
- Verify backup integrity: tthe backup file will be verified to ensure that it is not corrupted
- Verify the existence of the backup file after backup: selecting
this option the software will perform an additional check in order to verify that
the database backup file has been effectively created (the option is usable only
if the database server (and the backup destination folder) is local or reachable
across the network.
- Copy backup file to common destinations after backup: selecting
this option, after the database backup has been completed, Uranium will copy the
database backup file in all common destinations of the Backup Set. These can include: network
computers, FTP servers, DVD, Tape, NAS, etc..
Once you configured all the options, click again on the button "Next". The
program will show you a brief summary of the options you selected. Click "OK" to
create the SQL Server backup item and to close the configuration window.
In the item list you will have the item just created, as you can see in the image
below:br />
IIn the item you have the server address, the database name and the operation type
(1 - > Backup; 2 - > Stored procedure execution; 3 - > Query execution
from file; 4 -> Restore). The operation type will be also inserted as child item, immediately
below.
You can modify this item anytime selecting it with the mouse right button and clicking
the appropriate menu voice.br />
You can create an unlimited number of SQL Server items, for example one for each
database or server, and for a different operation type.
The backup performed by Uranium creates a single backup file for each database
selected.
This backup file is created in the SQL Server standard format, and therefore it
is the same thing as if it is created using the native management tools (ex:
Enterpise Manager, Management Studio). For this reason the backup files created
by Uranium can be restored even with standard Microsoft tools.
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For any question or technical information about this tutorial you can post a message
in the
support
forum.
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