Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help
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So it's been a while since I've had to work with SQL databases and the experience I do have with them is to let the experts deal with them. This would be ideal, but our software is out of support and while I work to get us upgraded so we are back in support I need some assistance in setting up a full database backup (not just the .bak files).
I want to be able to schedule, stop services and backup a full (but very small sql express database).
Short of stopping the services, which I can do to copy the database files and security certs, is there a better approach?
Thanks in advance
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I've been using this to backup an application I support that has a full SQL instance running. Not sure if it would fit your needs. (Or even how good it is.)
(And it is free.)
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@DustinB3403 said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
So it's been a while since I've had to work with SQL databases and the experience I do have with them is to let the experts deal with them. This would be ideal, but our software is out of support and while I work to get us upgraded so we are back in support I need some assistance in setting up a full database backup (not just the .bak files).
I want to be able to schedule, stop services and backup a full (but very small sql express database).
Short of stopping the services, which I can do to copy the database files and security certs, is there a better approach?
Thanks in advance
Why can you not just copy the BAK files out? Those are full database backups that it seems you are wanting.
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@dafyre said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
@DustinB3403 said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
So it's been a while since I've had to work with SQL databases and the experience I do have with them is to let the experts deal with them. This would be ideal, but our software is out of support and while I work to get us upgraded so we are back in support I need some assistance in setting up a full database backup (not just the .bak files).
I want to be able to schedule, stop services and backup a full (but very small sql express database).
Short of stopping the services, which I can do to copy the database files and security certs, is there a better approach?
Thanks in advance
Why can you not just copy the BAK files out? Those are full database backups that it seems you are wanting.
I can, I just wasn't sure it had everything the system needed.
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@DustinB3403 said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
@dafyre said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
@DustinB3403 said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
So it's been a while since I've had to work with SQL databases and the experience I do have with them is to let the experts deal with them. This would be ideal, but our software is out of support and while I work to get us upgraded so we are back in support I need some assistance in setting up a full database backup (not just the .bak files).
I want to be able to schedule, stop services and backup a full (but very small sql express database).
Short of stopping the services, which I can do to copy the database files and security certs, is there a better approach?
Thanks in advance
Why can you not just copy the BAK files out? Those are full database backups that it seems you are wanting.
I can, I just wasn't sure it had everything the system needed.
It should... Otherwise it isn't a very good backup, lol.
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@dafyre said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
@DustinB3403 said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
@dafyre said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
@DustinB3403 said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
So it's been a while since I've had to work with SQL databases and the experience I do have with them is to let the experts deal with them. This would be ideal, but our software is out of support and while I work to get us upgraded so we are back in support I need some assistance in setting up a full database backup (not just the .bak files).
I want to be able to schedule, stop services and backup a full (but very small sql express database).
Short of stopping the services, which I can do to copy the database files and security certs, is there a better approach?
Thanks in advance
Why can you not just copy the BAK files out? Those are full database backups that it seems you are wanting.
I can, I just wasn't sure it had everything the system needed.
It should... Otherwise it isn't a very good backup, lol.
That is the point of them. I mean it does say "Backup" when you click on the task to create it.
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The last time I had to deal with SQL not only was the .BAK file required but also the master file and a few other things.
I'm just checking that that is correct or not.
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@DustinB3403 one of your points was automation and I assume scheduled BAK file creation?
If that is the case, a third party product will be your best solution for SQL Express.
I have never used the product @BRRABill recommended, but I just breezed through their website and it looks like a decent solution. Free for 2 databases, not expensive for more.
Your other choice would be a scheduled script to do it from the command line.
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@DustinB3403 said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
The last time I had to deal with SQL not only was the .BAK file required but also the master file and a few other things.
I'm just checking that that is correct or not.
Those have nothing to do with your data unless someone wrote a really really bad application.
If your server fails, you just spin up a new one and restore the BAK file. I migrate live applications like that when upgrading server OS versions.
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@JaredBusch said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
@DustinB3403 one of your points was automation and I assume scheduled BAK file creation?
If that is the case, a third party product will be your best solution for SQL Express.
I have never used the product @BRRABill recommended, but I just breezed through their website and it looks like a decent solution. Free for 2 databases, not expensive for more.
Your other choice would be a scheduled script to do it from the command line.
The thing I like about it is that I schedule it once a day, and it retains a 14 day supply (those are both customizable) of backups. I also get a daily e-mail on the result of the job.
And it's free.
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@JaredBusch I'm guessing this is no good way to know if the program is good or not without standing up a test system and trying the database import.
I'll have some testing to do.
Thanks for the guidance.
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@BRRABill said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
I've been using this to backup an application I support that has a full SQL instance running. Not sure if it would fit your needs. (Or even how good it is.)
(And it is free.)
We have the paid version of this for both MySQL and MSSQL. Both work fantastically.
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@DustinB3403 said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
@JaredBusch I'm guessing this is no good way to know if the program is good or not without standing up a test system and trying the database import.
I'll have some testing to do.
Thanks for the guidance.
Yeah, not really any way to know.
Applications that I have wrote only talk to their own database, but I have heard of people doing things that add functions to master or something.
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I'll be testing shortly.
Thanks for the assist
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We use Symantec System Recovery 2013 R2 to backup SQL databases(which i do not recommend). We successfully used it on MSSQL 2005, 2008 and 2012.
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And I have a feeling the software is crap... that or I'm just doing this wrong..
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@DustinB3403 said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
And I have a feeling the software is crap... that or I'm just doing this wrong..
You might be doing it wrong. The basic/free version is very limited, from what we saw. What are you having issues with?
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@coliver said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
@DustinB3403 said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
And I have a feeling the software is crap... that or I'm just doing this wrong..
You might be doing it wrong. The basic/free version is very limited, from what we saw. What are you having issues with?
Oh sorry I'm not trialing that backup software yet.
I'm using the built in tools from the application vendor to try and restore a .BAK into a clean installation.
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@DustinB3403 said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
@coliver said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
@DustinB3403 said in Microsoft SQL Express 2005 - Complete Database Backup - help:
And I have a feeling the software is crap... that or I'm just doing this wrong..
You might be doing it wrong. The basic/free version is very limited, from what we saw. What are you having issues with?
Oh sorry I'm not trialing that backup software yet.
I'm using the built in tools from the application vendor to try and restore a .BAK into a clean installation.
Oh, I see.
