How to set up scheduled database backups in SQL Server

To backup SQL Server databases on a scheduled basis, you can utilize SQL Server Agent jobs.

Here are the steps for setting up scheduled database backups:

1. Open SQL Server Management Studio and connect to your SQL Server instance.
2. In the “Object Explorer,” expand the “SQL Server Agent” node, right-click on the “Jobs” folder, and then select “Create New Job.”
3. Enter the name and description of the assignment in the “Create New Assignment” dialog box.
4. Click on “New” on the “Tasks” tab to create a new task step.
5. In the “Create New Job Step” dialog box, enter the name of the step and select “Type” as “Transact-SQL Script (T-SQL)”.
6. Enter the T-SQL command to backup the database in the “Command” box, for example:

BACKUP DATABASE YourDatabaseName TO DISK = 'C:\Backup\YourDatabaseName.bak'

Please replace “YourDatabaseName” with the name of the database you want to back up, and “C:\Backup\YourDatabaseName.bak” with the path where you will save the backup file.

1. On the “Schedule” tab, choose “Enable scheduling” and set the backup schedule time and frequency.
2. Click on “OK” to save the task settings.

You have successfully set up a scheduled backup job for SQL Server databases. The job will automatically back up the databases according to the schedule and frequency you have set. You can view and manage the job in the “SQL Server Agent” folder.