SQL Backup Strategy

SQL backup strategy

To develop a better SQL backup strategy, you need to answer a few questions:

1. Is concrete SQL database very important or not? If anything happens, will the damage be significant for your work and the company in general?

If you have multiple databases with approximately same value, it is obvious that it is much easier to develop a similar scheme for backups.

However, if you have a very important database, then definitely you need to back up it more often - it’s a priority task.

2. How many hours a day do applications have to access the database?

If there is a predictable off-peak period, we recommend that you schedule full database backups for that period.

3. How frequently are changes and updates likely to occur?

If changes are frequent, consider the following:

  • Under the simple recovery model, consider scheduling differential backups between full database backups. A differential backup captures only the changes since the last full database backup.
  • Under the full recovery model, you should schedule frequent log backups. Scheduling differential backups between full backups can reduce restore time by reducing the number of log backups you have to restore after restoring the data.

4. Backup database via SQL database API or third-party software?

Different SQL databases offer their internal mechanisms to make the backup that you can use for free. However, as a general rule, that means you will spend your time and energy to do backups manually or create the complicated solutions like scripts. Buying an effective third-party backup software will help you to automate an SQL database backup process. You can just set SQL database backup schedule up with the Handy Backup program.

The best SQL backup strategy - to have a backup available when you need it!

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Additional information

Find out about the best backup strategy

Automatic DB Backup Strategies. Best practices and strategies.

Backup Rotation Schemes. A bit about optimal data backup strategy.

SQL database backup. More about SQL database backup.

PostgreSQL backup. How to backup PostgreSQL.

Who uses Handy Backup?