Chapter 32 -- Backing Up Microsoft SQL Server

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Chapter 32

Backing up the database is one of the DBA's most important tasks. Having backup files and carefully planning for disaster recovery enable the DBA to restore the system in the event of a failure. The DBA is responsible for keeping the system up and running as much as possible and, in the event of a system failure, for restoring service as quickly as possible. Downtime can be both inconvenient and extremely expensive. Getting the database back up and running as soon as possible is essential. Technologies such as clustering and fault-tolerant disk subsystems can help, but they are no substitute for good planning and a reliable backup method.

Because the topics of backing up, restoring, and recovering the database are so important, they are covered in this book over the course of two chapters. In this chapter, you'll learn about the Microsoft SQL Server transaction log and the various methods of backing up the database. In Chapter 33, you'll learn how to restore the database, how SQL Server recovery works, and how to create and implement a disaster recovery plan.