What is a simple command line program or script to backup SQL server databases?

Question

I've been too lax with performing DB backups on our internal servers.

Is there a simple command line program that I can use to backup certain databases in SQL Server 2005? Or is there a simple VBScript?

Answer 1

To backup a single database from the command line, use osql or sqlcmd.

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Tools\Binn\osql.exe" 
    -E -Q "BACKUP DATABASE mydatabase TO DISK='C:\tmp\db.bak' WITH FORMAT"

You'll also want to read the documentation on BACKUP and RESTORE and general procedures.

Answer 2

I use ExpressMaint.

To backup all user databases I do for example:

C:\>ExpressMaint.exe -S (local)\sqlexpress -D ALL_USER -T DB -BU HOURS -BV 1 -B c:\backupdir\ -DS

Answer 3

Schedule the following to backup all Databases:

Use Master

Declare @ToExecute VarChar(8000)

Select @ToExecute = Coalesce(@ToExecute + 'Backup Database ' + [Name] + ' To Disk =     ''D:\Backups\Databases\' + [Name]   + '.bak'' With Format;' + char(13),'')
From
Master..Sysdatabases
Where
[Name] Not In ('tempdb')
and databasepropertyex ([Name],'Status') = 'online'

Execute(@ToExecute)

There are also more details on my blog: how to Automate SQL Server Express Backups.

Answer 4

I found this on a Microsoft Support page http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2019698.

It works great! And since it came from Microsoft, I feel like it's pretty legit.

Basically there are two steps.

1. Create a stored procedure in your master db. See msft link or if it's broken try here: http://pastebin.com/svRLkqnq

2. Schedule the backup from your task scheduler. You might want to put into a .bat or .cmd file first and then schedule that file.

   sqlcmd -S YOUR_SERVER_NAME\SQLEXPRESS -E -Q "EXEC sp_BackupDatabases @backupLocation='C:\SQL_Backup\', @backupType='F'"  1>c:\SQL_Backup\backup.log            
   

Obviously replace YOUR_SERVER_NAME with your computer name or optionally try .\SQLEXPRESS and make sure the backup folder exists. In this case it's trying to put it into c:\SQL_Backup

Answer 5

You can use the backup application by ApexSQL. Although it’s a GUI application, it has all its features supported in CLI. It is possible to either perform one-time backup operations, or to create a job that would back up specified databases on the regular basis. You can check the switch rules and exampled in the articles:

• ApexSQL Backup CLI support
• ApexSQL Backup CLI examples

Answer 6

I'm using tsql on a Linux/UNIX infrastructure to access MSSQL databases. Here's a simple shell script to dump a table to a file:

#!/usr/bin/ksh
#
#.....
(
tsql -S {database} -U {user} -P {password} <<EOF
select * from {table}
go
quit
EOF
) >{output_file.dump}

Answer 7

Eventual if you don't have a trusted connection as the –E switch declares

Use following command line

"[program dir]\[sql server version]\Tools\Binn\osql.exe" -Q "BACKUP DATABASE mydatabase TO DISK='C:\tmp\db.bak'" -S [server] –U [login id] -P [password]

Where

[program dir] is the directory where the osql.exe exists

On 32bit OS c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\

On 64bit OS c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\

[sql server version] your sql server version 110 or 100 or 90 or 80 begin with the largest number

[server] your servername or server ip

[login id] your ms-sql server user login name

[password] the required login password

Answer 8

Below is the simple script to make database backup.

DECLARE @name VARCHAR(50) -- database name  
DECLARE @path VARCHAR(256) -- path for backup files  
DECLARE @fileName VARCHAR(256) -- filename for backup  
DECLARE @fileDate VARCHAR(20) -- used for file name


-- specify database backup directory
SET @path = 'C:\Backup\'  


-- specify filename format
SELECT @fileDate = CONVERT(VARCHAR(20),GETDATE(),112) 


DECLARE db_cursor CURSOR FOR  
SELECT name 
FROM master.dbo.sysdatabases 
WHERE name NOT IN ('master','model','msdb','tempdb')  -- exclude these databases


OPEN db_cursor   
FETCH NEXT FROM db_cursor INTO @name   


WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0   
BEGIN   
       SET @fileName = @path + @name + '_' + @fileDate + '.BAK'  
       BACKUP DATABASE @name TO DISK = @fileName  


       FETCH NEXT FROM db_cursor INTO @name   
END   


CLOSE db_cursor   
DEALLOCATE db_cursor

Answer 9

You could use a VB Script I wrote exactly for this purpose: https://github.com/ezrarieben/mssql-backup-vbs/

Schedule a task in the "Task Scheduler" to execute the script as you like and it'll backup the entire DB to a BAK file and save it wherever you specify.

Answer 10

SET NOCOUNT ON;
declare @PATH VARCHAR(200)='D:\MyBackupFolder\'
 -- path where you want to take backups
IF OBJECT_ID('TEMPDB..#back') IS NOT NULL

DROP TABLE #back

CREATE TABLE #back
(
RN INT IDENTITY (1,1),
DatabaseName NVARCHAR(200)

)

INSERT INTO #back 
SELECT       'MyDatabase1'
UNION SELECT 'MyDatabase2'
UNION SELECT 'MyDatabase3'
UNION SELECT 'MyDatabase4'

-- your databases List

DECLARE @COUNT INT =0 ,  @RN INT =1, @SCRIPT NVARCHAR(MAX)='',  @DBNAME VARCHAR(200)

PRINT '---------------------FULL BACKUP SCRIPT-------------------------'+CHAR(10)
SET @COUNT = (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM #back)
PRINT 'USE MASTER'+CHAR(10)
WHILE(@COUNT > = @RN)
BEGIN

SET @DBNAME =(SELECT DatabaseName FROM #back WHERE RN=@RN)
SET @SCRIPT ='BACKUP DATABASE ' +'['+@DBNAME+']'+CHAR(10)+'TO DISK =N'''+@PATH+@DBNAME+ N'_Backup_'
+ REPLACE ( REPLACE ( REPLACE ( REPLACE ( CAST ( CAST ( GETDATE () AS DATETIME2 ) AS VARCHAR ( 100 )), '-' , '_' ), ' ' , '_' ), '.' , '_' ), ':' , '' )+'.bak'''+CHAR(10)+'WITH COMPRESSION, STATS = 10'+CHAR(10)+'GO'+CHAR(10)
PRINT @SCRIPT
SET @RN=@RN+1
END

 PRINT '---------------------DIFF BACKUP SCRIPT-------------------------'+CHAR(10)

  SET  @COUNT  =0 SET  @RN  =1 SET @SCRIPT ='' SET @DBNAME =''
 SET @COUNT = (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM #back)
PRINT 'USE MASTER'+CHAR(10)
WHILE(@COUNT > = @RN)
BEGIN
SET @DBNAME =(SELECT DatabaseName FROM #back WHERE RN=@RN)
SET @SCRIPT ='BACKUP DATABASE ' +'['+@DBNAME+']'+CHAR(10)+'TO DISK =N'''+@PATH+@DBNAME+ N'_Backup_'
+ REPLACE ( REPLACE ( REPLACE ( REPLACE ( CAST ( CAST ( GETDATE () AS DATETIME2 ) AS VARCHAR ( 100 )), '-' , '_' ), ' ' , '_' ), '.' , '_' ), ':' , '' )+'.diff'''+CHAR(10)+'WITH DIFFERENTIAL, COMPRESSION, STATS = 10'+CHAR(10)+'GO'+CHAR(10)
PRINT @SCRIPT
SET @RN=@RN+1
END

Answer 11

If you can find the DB files... "cp DBFiles backup/"

Almost for sure not advisable in most cases, but it's simple as all getup.