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 Serv

Answer 1

Microsoft's answer to backing up all user databases on SQL Express is here:

The process is: copy, paste, and execute their code (see below. I've commented some oddly non-commented lines at the top) as a query on your database server. That means you should first install the SQL Server Management Studio (or otherwise connect to your database server with SSMS). This code execution will create a stored procedure on your database server.

Create a batch file to execute the stored procedure, then use Task Scheduler to schedule a periodic (e.g. nightly) run of this batch file. My code (that works) is a slightly modified version of their first example:

sqlcmd -S .\SQLEXPRESS -E -Q "EXEC sp_BackupDatabases @backupLocation='E:\SQLBackups\', @backupType='F'" 

This worked for me, and I like it. Each time you run it, new backup files are created. You'll need to devise a method of deleting old backup files on a routine basis. I already have a routine that does that sort of thing, so I'll keep a couple of days' worth of backups on disk (long enough for them to get backed up by my normal backup routine), then I'll delete them. In other words, I'll always have a few days' worth of backups on hand without having to restore from my backup system.

I'll paste Microsoft's stored procedure creation script below:

--// Copyright © Microsoft Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.
--// This code released under the terms of the
--// Microsoft Public License (MS-PL, http://opensource.org/licenses/ms-pl.html.)

USE [master] 
GO 

/****** Object:  StoredProcedure [dbo].[sp_BackupDatabases] ******/ 

SET ANSI_NULLS ON 
GO 

SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON 
GO 

 
-- ============================================= 
-- Author: Microsoft 
-- Create date: 2010-02-06
-- Description: Backup Databases for SQLExpress
-- Parameter1: databaseName 
-- Parameter2: backupType F=full, D=differential, L=log
-- Parameter3: backup file location
-- =============================================

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[sp_BackupDatabases]  
            @databaseName sysname = null,
            @backupType CHAR(1),
            @backupLocation nvarchar(200) 
AS 

       SET NOCOUNT ON; 

            DECLARE @DBs TABLE
            (
                  ID int IDENTITY PRIMARY KEY,
                  DBNAME nvarchar(500)
            )
           
             -- Pick out only databases which are online in case ALL databases are chosen to be backed up

             -- If specific database is chosen to be backed up only pick that out from @DBs

            INSERT INTO @DBs (DBNAME)
            SELECT Name FROM master.sys.databases
            where state=0
            AND name=@DatabaseName
            OR @DatabaseName IS NULL
            ORDER BY Name

 
           -- Filter out databases which do not need to backed up
 
           IF @backupType='F'
                  BEGIN
                  DELETE @DBs where DBNAME IN ('tempdb','Northwind','pubs','AdventureWorks')
                  END
            ELSE IF @backupType='D'
                  BEGIN
                  DELETE @DBs where DBNAME IN ('tempdb','Northwind','pubs','master','AdventureWorks')
                  END
            ELSE IF @backupType='L'
                  BEGIN
                  DELETE @DBs where DBNAME IN ('tempdb','Northwind','pubs','master','AdventureWorks')
                  END
            ELSE
                  BEGIN
                  RETURN
                  END
           

            -- Declare variables

            DECLARE @BackupName varchar(100)
            DECLARE @BackupFile varchar(100)
            DECLARE @DBNAME varchar(300)
            DECLARE @sqlCommand NVARCHAR(1000) 
        DECLARE @dateTime NVARCHAR(20)
            DECLARE @Loop int                  
                       
            -- Loop through the databases one by one

            SELECT @Loop = min(ID) FROM @DBs
       WHILE @Loop IS NOT NULL
      BEGIN
 
-- Database Names have to be in [dbname] format since some have - or _ in their name

      SET @DBNAME = '['+(SELECT DBNAME FROM @DBs WHERE ID = @Loop)+']'


-- Set the current date and time n yyyyhhmmss format

      SET @dateTime = REPLACE(CONVERT(VARCHAR, GETDATE(),101),'/','') + '_' +  REPLACE(CONVERT(VARCHAR, GETDATE(),108),':','')  
 

-- Create backup filename in path\filename.extension format for full,diff and log backups

      IF @backupType = 'F'
            SET @BackupFile = @backupLocation+REPLACE(REPLACE(@DBNAME, '[',''),']','')+ '_FULL_'+ @dateTime+ '.BAK'
      ELSE IF @backupType = 'D'
            SET @BackupFile = @backupLocation+REPLACE(REPLACE(@DBNAME, '[',''),']','')+ '_DIFF_'+ @dateTime+ '.BAK'
      ELSE IF @backupType = 'L'
            SET @BackupFile = @backupLocation+REPLACE(REPLACE(@DBNAME, '[',''),']','')+ '_LOG_'+ @dateTime+ '.TRN'
 

-- Provide the backup a name for storing in the media

      IF @backupType = 'F'
            SET @BackupName = REPLACE(REPLACE(@DBNAME,'[',''),']','') +' full backup for '+ @dateTime

      IF @backupType = 'D'
            SET @BackupName = REPLACE(REPLACE(@DBNAME,'[',''),']','') +' differential backup for '+ @dateTime

      IF @backupType = 'L'
            SET @BackupName = REPLACE(REPLACE(@DBNAME,'[',''),']','') +' log backup for '+ @dateTime


-- Generate the dynamic SQL command to be executed

       IF @backupType = 'F' 
                  BEGIN
               SET @sqlCommand = 'BACKUP DATABASE ' +@DBNAME+  ' TO DISK = '''+@BackupFile+ ''' WITH INIT, NAME= ''' +@BackupName+''', NOSKIP, NOFORMAT'
                  END

       IF @backupType = 'D'
                  BEGIN
               SET @sqlCommand = 'BACKUP DATABASE ' +@DBNAME+  ' TO DISK = '''+@BackupFile+ ''' WITH DIFFERENTIAL, INIT, NAME= ''' +@BackupName+''', NOSKIP, NOFORMAT'        
                  END

       IF @backupType = 'L' 
                  BEGIN
               SET @sqlCommand = 'BACKUP LOG ' +@DBNAME+  ' TO DISK = '''+@BackupFile+ ''' WITH INIT, NAME= ''' +@BackupName+''', NOSKIP, NOFORMAT'        
                  END
 

-- Execute the generated SQL command

       EXEC(@sqlCommand)

 
-- Goto the next database

SELECT @Loop = min(ID) FROM @DBs where ID>@Loop
 

END​

Answer 2

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 3

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 4

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 5

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 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}