SqlBak Blog

SqlBak Documentation

Documentation for the SqlBak product is currently under development. We apologize for any inconvenience.

While the documentation is being finalized, you can reach out to us through our support service, and we will strive to respond to your inquiry within a few hours.

Below is a list of articles from our blog where you can find useful materials on using SqlBak:

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SQL Server copy-only backup: why and how?

One of the types of SQL Server database backup is the copy-only backup. In reality, it’s not a different type of backup like differential or transaction log backups. Rather, it is an option that does not change the backup itself. Instead, it affects the sequencing of how regular backups are tracked and restored. Why are … Read more

SQL Server differential backup: fast guide

One of the types of backup in MSSQL is the “differential” backup. This article will cover what differential backups are, how to create and restore them, as well as their specific features and best practices. What is differential backup in SQL Server? Differential backups are backups that do not contain all the data but only the … Read more

Third party backup tools for SQL Server

In this article, we will review software designed for backing up SQL Server. Each tool has its own features and can be useful depending on the size of your architecture, availability of qualified specialists, financial resources and other factors. Free tools SQL Server Management Studio + SQL Server Agent The main tool for working with … Read more

Automating MSSQL backup tasks: how to schedule SQL server backups

Scheduling SQL Server backups can be done in various ways, including using SQL Server Agent, PowerShell, third-party tools or through scripts with Windows Scheduler. This article will explore different methods for scheduling MSSQL backups in more detail, as well as best practices for timing and frequency of scheduled backups. Tools for automating backups Scheduled automatic … Read more

How to enable script execution in SqlBak

Script execution restrictions in SqlBak When performing backup or maintenance tasks in SqlBak, you may encounter errors indicating that script execution has been disabled due to security policies: [SEC:1450#0] – Windows batch scripts are disabled by security policy. or #[SEC:1450#1] – SQL scripts are disabled by security policy. These errors occur when the execution of … Read more

To backup or not to backup: SQL Server’s master, msdb and model

In addition to the user databases that a SQL Server administrator can create, there are also system databases. The primary ones visible in Object Explorer are master, msdb, model and tempdb. All these databases, except for tempdb, support backup operations. In this article, we’ll discuss whether these databases need to be backed up, and if … Read more

Complete guide to restoring SQL databases from BAK files in SQL Server

Restoring SQL Server databases from backup files is an important task for database administrators. In this article, we will discuss what backup files are and how to load a BAK file into SQL Server.

What are BAK files in SQL Server?

BAK files are files created by SQL Server, with the file extension .bak, that contain one or more backups of SQL Server databases. They are designed to restore databases to the state they were in at the time the backup was created.

These files are a physical copy of the data from the database files (.mdf и .ldf) and are not intended to be viewed directly in a text editor.

Importing a BAK file in SQL Server involves restoring a database. You can restore databases from these files using T-SQL commands, graphical utilities such as SQL Server Management Studio or SQLBackupAndFTP, as well as from the command line.

There are several graphical user interface tools available.

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Integrating SqlBak with Zabbix: monitoring and backup execution

SqlBak has an API that allows it to integrate with other applications and services. This article explains how to integrate SqlBak and Zabbix. Sending job results to Zabbix 1. Export the template to Zabbix. It contains items for job results (status, date, backup type). Create a JSON file with the following content: { “zabbix_export”: { … Read more

SQL Server backup encryption: why and how?

This article will address the issue of backup encryption, why it is important, and the various approaches available. Why encrypt backups? Application-level encryption and “always encrypted” Simple backup encryption (7zip) SQL Server backup encryption Creating a certificate IMPORTANT: certificate backup Creating a backup with built-in encryption in SQL Server Restoring an encrypted SQL Server backup … Read more

SQL Server backup monitoring guide

In this article, various methods of monitoring backups and restores of SQL Server databases will be discussed, including tracking current progress and history. Tracking the status of your initiated backup If you initiate a backup yourself, you can instruct SQL Server to log the progress status by adding the WITH STATS parameter to the BACKUP … Read more