Complete Guide to SQL Server Backup and Restore Using the Command Line

Creating backups of a SQL Server database is one of the most critical aspects of maintaining a system. There are various tools available for creating backups, such as SQL Server Management Studio, SqlBak, and SQLBackupAndFTP. However, performing backups via the command line interface can provide even more flexibility and customization options.

PowerShell and batch scripts can be used to perform SQL Server backups via the command line interface. PowerShell scripts offer advanced functionality, while batch scripts are simpler and easier to use. Command line backups provide more flexibility and customization options than GUI-based tools.

This article provides an overview of the process involved in performing SQL Server backups via the command line interface and discusses the advantages of using PowerShell and batch scripts.

SQL to backup a database

To perform a SQL Server backup via T-SQL, you can use the BACKUP DATABASE statement. This statement creates a full database backup of the specified database, which can be used to restore the database to its state at the time the backup was taken.

The basic syntax for backing up a database using T-SQL is as follows:

BACKUP DATABASE [database_name] 
TO DISK = 'C:\Backup\backup_file.bak' 
WITH INIT

• [database_name] – The name of the database to be backed up.
• TO DISK = 'C:\Backup\backup_file.bak'– The path and filename of the backup file to be created. This can be any valid file path and filename.
• WITH INIT– This option overwrites any existing backup file with the same name as the one being created.

You can modify the options in the WITH clause to suit your specific backup needs. For example, you can enable compression to reduce the size of the backup file and display backup progress information using the COMPRESSION and STATS options, respectively.

Note that in order to perform a backup using T-SQL, the user must have sufficient permissions to execute the BACKUP DATABASE statement and access the specified backup file path.

SQL to restore a database

To restore a SQL Server database from a backup file, you can use the RESTORE DATABASE statement in T-SQL. The basic syntax for restoring a database from a backup file is as follows:

RESTORE DATABASE [database_name] 
FROM DISK = 'C:\Backup\backup_file.bak' 
WITH RECOVERY

• [database_name] – The name of the database to be restored.
• FROM DISK = 'C:\Backup\backup_file.bak' – The path and filename of the backup file to be restored.
• WITH RECOVERY – This option specifies that the database should be left in a recovered state, making it available for use.

Note that in order to restore a database using T-SQL, the user must have sufficient permissions to execute the RESTORE DATABASE statement and access the specified backup file path.

Restore DB with a Different Name

Restoring a database with a different name can be useful when you need to create a copy of an existing database or restore a database to a different SQL Server instance. In this section, we will explore how to restore a SQL Server database with a different name using T-SQL.

The basic syntax for restoring a database with a different name is as follows:

RESTORE DATABASE [new_database_name] 
FROM DISK = 'C:\Backup\backup_file.bak' 
WITH MOVE '[original_logical_data_file_name]' TO '[new_physical_data_file_path]', 
     MOVE '[original_logical_log_file_name]' TO '[new_physical_log_file_path]'

• [new_database_name]– The new name of the database to be restored.
• FROM DISK = 'C:\Backup\backup_file.bak'– The path and filename of the backup file to be restored.
• WITH MOVE– This option maps the logical file names in the backup file to the new physical file names and paths for the database files.

When restoring a database with a different name, you need to use the WITH MOVE option to specify the new physical file names and paths for the database files. This option maps the logical file names in the backup file to the new physical file names and paths. The MOVE option requires two parameters: the original logical file name and the new physical file path.

To determine the logical file names of the data and log files in the backup file, you can use the following T-SQL statement:

RESTORE FILELISTONLY FROM DISK = 'C:\Backup\backup_file.bak'

This statement retrieves a list of the files contained in the backup file, including the logical file names, sizes, and other attributes.

For example, to restore a database named “AdventureWorks” as “AdventureWorksCopy” with the data file moved to “C:\Data\AdventureWorksCopy.mdf” and the log file moved to “C:\Log\AdventureWorksCopy.ldf”, you would use the following T-SQL statement:

RESTORE DATABASE AdventureWorksCopy 
FROM DISK = 'C:\Backup\AdventureWorks.bak' 
WITH MOVE 'AdventureWorks_Data' TO 'C:\Data\AdventureWorksCopy.mdf', 
     MOVE 'AdventureWorks_Log' TO 'C:\Log\AdventureWorksCopy.ldf'

SQL Server Backup Command Line

This section covers how to perform SQL Server backups using the command line interface. It includes examples of backup scripts and utilities that can help automate the backup process.

sqlcmd backup database to Local Disk

sqlcmd is a command-line utility provided by Microsoft for interacting with SQL Server. It allows you to execute SQL statements, stored procedures, and script files, as well as perform various administrative tasks.

To perform a SQL Server backup using sqlcmd, you can use the -Q option to specify a backup command to be executed. The basic syntax for backing up a database using sqlcmd is as follows:

sqlcmd -S [server_name] -Q "BACKUP DATABASE [database_name] TO DISK='C:\Backup\backup_file.bak' WITH INIT"

• -S [server_name] – The name of the SQL Server instance to connect to.
• -Q– Specifies a query to be executed.
• "BACKUP DATABASE [database_name] TO DISK='C:\Backup\backup_file.bak' WITH INIT" – The backup command to be executed.

sqlcmd restore a database from Local Disk

To restore a SQL Server database using sqlcmd, you can use the -Q option to specify a restore command to be executed. The basic syntax for restoring a database using sqlcmd is as follows:

sqlcmd -S [server_name] -Q "RESTORE DATABASE [database_name] FROM DISK='C:\Backup\backup_file.bak' WITH RECOVERY

• -S [server_name] – The name of the SQL Server instance to connect to.
• -Q – Specifies a query to be executed.
• RESTORE DATABASE [database_name] FROM DISK='C:\Backup\backup_file.bak' WITH RECOVERY – The restore command to be executed.

PowerShell SQL Backup All Databases

PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language developed by Microsoft. It includes several modules for interacting with SQL Server, making it a powerful tool for automating SQL Server tasks, including backups. One such module is the SQLServer module, which provides cmdlets for backup and restore operations.

To use the SQLServer module for backups, you first need to install it. You can install the module using the following command:

Install-Module -Name SqlServer


Once the module is installed, you can use the Backup-SqlDatabase cmdlet to perform backups. The cmdlet allows you to specify the database to back up, the backup file path, and various backup options.

To backup all databases on a SQL Server instance, you can use the following command:

Get-ChildItem "SQLSERVER:\SQL\[server-name]\[instance-name]\Databases" | Backup-SqlDatabase -BackupContainer "[backup-path]"

Replace [server-name], [instance-name], and [backup-path] with the appropriate values for your environment. The Get-ChildItem cmdlet retrieves all the databases on the specified SQL Server instance and passes them to the Backup-SqlDatabase cmdlet for backup.

Here’s an example of backing up all databases on a SQL Server instance:

Get-ChildItem "SQLSERVER:\SQL\MSI\DEFAULT\Databases" | Backup-SqlDatabase -BackupContainer "c:\Backups2\"

This command backs up all databases on the “MSI” SQL Server instance to the “c:\Backups2” folder.

PowerShell SQL Server Differential Backup

Differential backups can significantly reduce the time and resources needed for backups, as they only include the changes made to the database since the last full backup. This can make the backup process more efficient and reduce the risk of data loss.

To perform a differential backup using PowerShell, use the Backup-SqlDatabase cmdlet with the -Incremental parameter. Here’s an example:

Backup-SqlDatabase -ServerInstance "." -Database "AdventureWorks" -BackupFile "C:\Backups\AdventureWorks_diff.bak" -Incremental

This command creates a differential backup of the “AdventureWorks” database and saves it to the “C:\Backups\AdventureWorks_diff.bak” file.

PowerShell SQL Restore Database

In addition to performing backups, PowerShell can also be used to restore SQL Server databases. The SQLServer module provides the Restore-SqlDatabase cmdlet for restoring databases from backup files.

The basic syntax for restoring a database using PowerShell is as follows:

Restore-SqlDatabase -ServerInstance [server-instance] -Database [database-name] -BackupFile [backup-file] -ReplaceDatabase

• -ServerInstance [server-instance] – The name of the SQL Server instance to connect to.
• -Database [database-name] – The name of the database to be restored.
• -BackupFile [backup-file] – The path and filename of the backup file to be restored.
• -ReplaceDatabase– This option specifies that the existing database should be replaced by the restored database.

Here’s an example of restoring a database using PowerShell:

Restore-SqlDatabase -ServerInstance '.' -Database 'MyDatabase' -BackupFile 'C:\Backup\MyDatabase.bak' -ReplaceDatabase

This command restores the “MyDatabase” database from the backup file located at “C:\Backup\MyDatabase.bak” to the local SQL Server instance and replaces the existing database if it exists.

PowerShell SQL Server Restore Differential Backup

To restore a SQL Server database from a differential backup using PowerShell, you first need to restore the full backup with the -NoRecovery option, then restore the differential backup.

To restore the full backup, use the Restore-SqlDatabase cmdlet with the -NoRecovery and -ReplaceDatabase options. Here’s an example:

Restore-SqlDatabase -ServerInstance '.' -Database 'AdventureWorks' -BackupFile 'C:\Backups\AdventureWorks_full.bak' -NoRecovery -ReplaceDatabase

This command restores the full backup of the “AdventureWorks” database from the “C:\Backups\AdventureWorks_full.bak” backup file to the local SQL Server instance and replaces the existing database if it exists.

Once the full backup is restored, you can restore the differential backup using the same Restore-SqlDatabase cmdlet, without the -NoRecovery option. Here’s an example:

Restore-SqlDatabase -ServerInstance '.' -Database 'AdventureWorks' -BackupFile 'C:\Backups\AdventureWorks_diff.bak'

This command restores the differential backup of the “AdventureWorks” database from the “C:\Backups\AdventureWorks_diff.bak” backup file to the local SQL Server instance.

Backup Scripts

While one-line commands can be useful, backup scripts provide more options and can automate the backup process. Backup scripts can be written in different languages, such as batch, PowerShell, and Bash, depending on your needs and environment.

Batch script to backup SQL Server database

A batch script can be a convenient way to automate SQL Server backups. The following example batch script creates a full database backup of the specified SQL Server database to a local disk, and deletes any backup files older than the specified number of days. If the backup fails, an error message is written to the Windows event log.

@echo off

set DB_NAME=MyDatabaseName
set BACKUP_DIR=C:\Backups
set DAYS_TO_KEEP=0

echo Starting backup of %DB_NAME% database...

sqlcmd -E -S . -Q "BACKUP DATABASE %DB_NAME% TO DISK='%BACKUP_DIR%\%DB_NAME%_%date:/=-%_%time::=-%.bak' WITH INIT, COMPRESSION"

if %ERRORLEVEL% neq 0 (
    echo Backup failed with error code %ERRORLEVEL%.
    eventcreate /T ERROR /L APPLICATION /ID 100 /D "SQL Server backup failed with error code %ERRORLEVEL%."
    goto end
)

echo Deleting old backup files older than %DAYS_TO_KEEP% days in directory %BACKUP_DIR% ...

forfiles /P "%BACKUP_DIR%" /M "%DB_NAME%*.bak" /D -%DAYS_TO_KEEP% /C 2>nul "cmd /c if @ISDIR==FALSE del @PATH"

echo Old backup files deleted successfully.

:end
echo Script complete.

To use this script, replace the value of the DB_NAME variable with the name of the SQL Server database you want to backup, and replace the value of the BACKUP_DIR variable with the appropriate path for storing the backup files. You can also adjust the value of the DAYS_TO_KEEP variable to change the number of days to keep backup files.

PowerShell Script to Backup All SQL Databases

This section contains a PowerShell script that can be used to backup all SQL databases. The script performs the following tasks:

• Gets a list of all SQL Server databases
• Mounts the network drive
• Creates a backup of each database
• Compresses the backup file
• Copies the backup file to the network drive
• Deletes expired backups
• Unmounts the network drive
• Sends an error notification if there was an error

invoke-sqlcmd 

# Set variables
$backupFolderPath = "C:\temp"  # Backup folder path
$compressionLevel = "2"  # Archive compression level (1-9)
$expirationDays = 7  # Number of days after which backups will be deleted

# Set credentials for network drive
$networkDrive = "Z" # Temporary network drive
$networkPath = "\\server\backup\folder"
$networkUser = "network-user"
$networkPassword = "network-password"

$eventLogName = "Application"
$eventSource = "MSSQLSERVER"

Write-Host "Starting SQL Server database backup script"

# Get list of all SQL Server databases
$databases = Get-ChildItem "SQLSERVER:\SQL\MSI\DEFAULT\Databases" | Where-Object {$_.Name -ne "tempdb"}

Write-Host "Found $($databases.Count) databases"

# Create backup folder if it does not exist
if (!(Test-Path -Path $backupFolderPath)) {
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $backupFolderPath | Out-Null
    Write-Host "Created backup folder: $backupFolderPath"
}

New-PSDrive -Name $networkDrive -PSProvider FileSystem -Root $networkPath -Credential (New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential($networkUser,(ConvertTo-SecureString $networkPassword -AsPlainText -Force)))
# Mount network drive

# Backup databases
foreach ($database in $databases) {
    Write-Host "Creating backup for database $($database.Name)"
    $backupFile = Join-Path $backupFolderPath "$($database.Name)_$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd_HHmmss').bak"
    Backup-SqlDatabase -ServerInstance "." -Database $database.Name -BackupFile $backupFile  -Initialize

    if ($?) {
        Write-Host "Backup for database $($database.Name) was created."
    } else {
        $errorDetails = "Error creating backup for database $($database.Name). Details: " + $Error[0].Exception.Message
        Write-EventLog -LogName $eventLogName -Source $eventSource -EntryType Error -EventId 1 -Message $errorDetails
        continue
    }

    Write-Host "Created backup for database $($database.Name)"

    # Compress backup
    $zipFile = "$backupFile.zip"
    Compress-Archive -Path $backupFile -CompressionLevel Optimal -DestinationPath $zipFile

    if ($?) {
        Write-Host "Backup for database $($database.Name) was zipped."
    } else {
        $errorDetails = "Error creating backup for database $($database.Name). Details: " + $Error[0].Exception.Message
        Write-EventLog -LogName $eventLogName -Source $eventSource -EntryType Error -EventId 1 -Message $errorDetails
        continue
    }

    Write-Host "Compressed backup $($backupFile)"

    # # Copy file to network drive
    cp $zipFile "$($networkDrive):\$(Split-Path $zipFile -leaf)"

    if ($?) {
        Write-Host "Backup for database $($database.Name) was created and sent to storage successfully."
    } else {
        $errorDetails = "Error creating backup for database $($database.Name). Details: " + $Error[0].Exception.Message
        Write-EventLog -LogName $eventLogName -Source $eventSource -EntryType Error -EventId 1 -Message $errorDetails
        continue
    }

    # Delete expired backups
    Get-ChildItem $backupFolderPath -Recurse | Where-Object {($_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-$expirationDays)) -and ($_.Extension -eq ".zip")} | Remove-Item

    # Delete expired backups from backup storage
    Get-ChildItem "$($networkDrive):\" -Recurse | Where-Object {($_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-$expirationDays)) -and ($_.Extension -eq ".zip")} | Remove-Item

    Write-Host "Deleted expired backups"

    # Send error notification if there was an error
}

Write-Host "SQL Server database backup script finished"

# # Unmount network drive
Remove-PSDrive -Name $networkDrive

SQL Server command line backup tool

Instead of creating a complex PowerShell or Bash script on your own, you can use the sqlbak-cli utility.

SqlBak-CLI is a simple command-line tool for creating database backups and sending them to storage. This utility can also restore the backups it creates. It can send backups to network folders, FTP, SFTP, and Backblaze. Documentation and download instructions can be found at this link.

To get started, simply create a JSON file that describes how to connect to the database and how to connect to the backup storage.

Backup all databases to another server over SSH using SqlBak-CLI

Create a file called backup-job-settings.json with the connection details for the database and network folder.

{
    "source":
        {
            "type":"mssql",
            "source_name":"source-name",
            "data_source":".",
            "trust_server_certificate":true,
            "is_integrated_security":false,
            "user_name":"sa",
            "user_password":"*******",
            "databases": [ "mssql_custom" ]
        },
       "storages":[
          {
             "type":"sftp",
             "server_name":"backup-storage.com",
             "user_name":"ftp-user",
             "user_password":"*************",
             "path":"backups"
          }
       ]
}

To run the backup, execute the following command:

sqlbak-cli run-backup --job-settings=backup-settings.json

Restore a database to another server over SSH using SqlBak-CLI

To restore a backup, create a file called restore-job-settings.json.

{
    "type": "restore",
    "target": {
    "type":"mssql",
    "data_source":".",
    "trust_server_certificate":true,
    "user_name":"sa",
    "user_password":"********",
    "databases": [
            {
                "source_name": "wordpress",
                "target_name": "wordpress"
            }
        ],
    },
    "storage": {
        "destination_type":"sftp",
        "server_name":"backup-storage.com",
        "user_name":"ftp-user",
        "user_password":"*************",
        "path":"backups"
    }
}

To run the restore, use the following command:

sqlbak-cli run-restore --job-settings=restore-settings.json

Automating Backups with SqlBak-CLI, PowerShell, and Batch Scripts

Once you have your backup scripts set up using SqlBak-CLI, PowerShell, or Batch, you can automate their execution using the Task Scheduler in Windows. This is particularly useful if you want to run backups on a regular schedule without having to remember to do it manually.

To set up an automated backup, follow these steps:

1. Open the Task Scheduler by typing “Task Scheduler” in the Start menu and clicking on the appropriate result.
2. Click “Create Basic Task” in the Actions pane on the right-hand side of the Task Scheduler window.
3. Name the task, and then click “Next.”
4. Choose the frequency of the backup, and then click “Next.” For example, if you want to back up your database every day at midnight, choose “Daily” and set the time to 12:00 AM.
5. Choose “Start a program” as the action for the task, and then click “Next.”
6. Enter the path to your backup script in the “Program/script” box. For SqlBak-CLI, it might be “sqlbak-cli.exe”. For PowerShell, it might be “powershell.exe”. For Batch, it might be “cmd.exe”.
7. For SqlBak-CLI:
   In the “Program/script” field, enter the path to the sqlbak-cli.exe file. For example: C:\Program Files\SQLBak-CLI\sqlbak-cli.exe.
   In the “Add arguments (optional)” field, enter run-backup command and the path to your backup job JSON file: run-backup --job-settings=C:\backup\my-backup-job.json.
8. For PowerShell:
   In the “Program/script” field, enter the path to the powershell.exe file. For example: powershell.exe.
   In the “Add arguments (optional)” field, enter the path to your PowerShell script file, for example: -File C:\Users\UserName\Documents\backup.ps1.
9. For Batch:
   In the “Program/script” field, enter the path to the cmd.exe file. For example: cmd.exe.
   In the “Add arguments (optional)” field, enter the path to your batch file, for example: C:\Users\UserName\Documents\backup.bat.
10. Click “Next,” review the details of the task, and then click “Finish.”

Your backup script will now run automatically according to the schedule you set up.

Conclusion

Database backup is not the only task that a DB administrator must perform. Running backups from the command line can be integrated with automated maintenance scripts for other parts of the infrastructure.

Usually, a single command is not enough, and a script needs to be created. Batch scripts are simpler, but PowerShell provides more possibilities. However, a complex solution will require deep knowledge of PowerShell.

Instead of writing a backup script from scratch, you can use the SqlBak-CLI utility. Simply substitute the correct values in the JSON file fields, and it will send the backup over SSH or upload it to FTP. It can also restore on demand.

If you don’t want to bother with command-line interfaces and scripts, you can check out the following solutions:

• SQLBackupAndFTP – an application for backing up SQL Server and sending the backup to cloud storage.
• SqlBak – a cloud service for centralized backup management on multiple servers.