SQL Server backups provide important safeguards for data integrity, availability, and disaster recovery, and different types provide different functions. This article mainly talks about 7 types of SQL backups and how to create each backup with commands, also has the benefits of the SQL Server backup.
SQL Server backup is the process of creating a copy of your SQL Server database data to prevent data loss, corruption, or accidental deletion. Backups are essential for disaster recovery, restoring the database to a previous state in the event of a system failure, hardware problem, or human error.
Each backup type in SQL Server is designed for different recovery scenarios, providing flexibility to meet your data retention and recovery requirements. The following section explores the various types of SQL Server backups.
A full SQL server backup is the most comprehensive type of backup in SQL Server. It includes all the data in a particular database at the time of backup, capturing every object, transaction, and data.
It contains all database objects, and it’s the basis for other backup types, such as differential backups and transaction log backups. What’s more, it allows the database to be fully restored to the state it was in at the time of the backup.
📌You can use this command to create a full backup:
A SQL Server differential backup only contains data that has changed since the last full backup. It is smaller and faster than a full backup because it focuses only on modified data. To restore a differential backup, you will need the original full backup.
Every differential backup includes all changes since the last full backup, not just changes since the last differential backup. And the size of a differential backup increases as more changes accumulate in the database following the full backup.
📌You can use this command to have a differential backup:
Transaction log backups capture all changes recorded in the transaction log since the last transaction log backup. SQL Server uses the transaction log to keep track of all modifications to the database. Transaction log backups are critical for point-in-time recovery.
Transaction log backup can restore the database to a specific point in time and can only use it when the database is in full or bulk log recovery mode.
📌You can use the below command to initiate the transaction log backup:
A tail-log backup is a special type of backup that captures the active portion of the transaction log, which contains all transactions that have occurred since the last log backup. It’s critical when there is a need to restore a database to the most recent state before a failure, corruption, or other data loss event occurred.
📌You can use the command to have a tail-log backup:
A copy-only backup is a special type of backup that does not affect the entire backup sequence or backup chain. It is essentially a snapshot of the database and can be used for non-routine purposes, such as creating temporary backups without affecting the regular backup workflow.
It does not interfere with existing backup or restore operations, making it ideal for scenarios where you need to perform a temporary backup without resetting the backup chain.
📌You can use this command to create a copy-only backup:
In large databases, it is sometimes not necessary to back up the entire database at once. File and file group backups allow you to back up individual files or groups of files (logical groups of data files in SQL Server).
It’s useful in large databases where backing up the entire database at once can be resource intensive.
📌You can use this command to have a file backup:
A partial backup is similar to a file or filegroup backup, but is designed for databases that use READ_WRITE filegroups. It backs up the main filegroup and any read/write filegroups, but ignores read-only filegroups.
This approach is more effective for backing up databases with large amounts of read-only data that do not need to be backed up frequently.
📌You can use the following command to have a partial backup:
SQL Server Backup offers a variety of benefits that provide organizations with important tools for data protection, disaster recovery, and efficient database management. The following are the key benefits of SQL Server Backup.
☞ 1. Data Protection
Backups act as a safeguard for your data, ensuring that in the event of a hardware failure, software problem or accidental deletion of data, the database can be restored to its previous state. This minimizes the risks of permanent data loss.
☞ 2. Disaster Recovery
SQL Server backups are critical for recovering databases in the event of a catastrophic event. Regularly scheduled SQL Server backups ensure that you recover your system with minimal downtime.
☞ 3. Efficient Storage Management
SQL Server offers different types of backups (full, differential, and transaction log backups) that can be combined to optimize storage space. For instance, using a combination of full and differential backups can reduce overall storage space compared to frequent full backups.
In any database management system, data protection is critical to ensuring business continuity and avoiding the loss of valuable information.SQL Server offers a variety of backup types to protect your data, however, SQL Server is not friendly for novices, it’s complex and tedious, and any tiny mistakes may fail the backup.
AOMEI Cyber Backup is a versatile and user-friendly backup software that caters to both novice users and IT professionals. Designed for SQL Server, AOMEI Cyber Backup simplifies the SQL Server backup and recovery process.
With its user-friendly interface, you can easily schedule automated backups, ensuring your SQL Server databases are consistently protected. The software also supports incremental and differential backups, minimizing storage space and time, while also offering quick recovery options to restore your data in no time.
Key Features of AOMEI Cyber Backup:
✍Easy-to-use: It offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface to simplify the backup process. ✨Scheduling and Automation: You can set up automated SQL backup to reduce the risk of data loss due to human error and unexpected events. 🎇Centralized Backup: You can choose flexible backup method and able to backup all the devices within LAN. 🔆Flexible Backup Option: You can store data in various locations, such as local disks, network drives, or cloud storage, providing flexibility and redundancy.
1. Navigate to Source Device > Microsoft SQL > Add Microsoft SQL to Download proxy program, and install the program on the device with SQL Server installed. Then click Already installed proxy and select the proxies you want to add.
2. Click ... > Authentication to validate the database instance. You can choose Windows Authentication or SQL Authentication. Enter the credentials and click Verify.
3. Click Backup Task on the menu bar, select Backup Task > Create New Task, and choose the backup type as Microsoft SQL Backup. Then enter a name for the backup task, then go to select the database you want to backup and specify a location as a storage end.
4. Select backup methods as full/incremental/differential and specify the backup time as daily/weekly/monthly to have a scheduled SQL database, then your SQL database will be backed up automatically and regularly.
5. Click Start Backup.
SQL Server offers several backup options, each designed for different needs and recovery goals. Implementing the right combination of these backups provides robust protection against data loss and ensures business continuity even in the event of a disaster.