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?
- Restore SQL Server DB via SSMS
- Restore BAK file via SQLBackupAndFTP
- Restore MS SQL Server database via SQL commands
- Useful SQL Server restore options
- Restore SQL Server backup via command line
- Restore SQL Server backup via PowerShell
- MS SQL Recovery vs MS SQL Server Restore
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.