I need to automate backup for my Microsoft SQL Express database at work. I'm working for the state government health departments. I'm running an intranet website where people input data from forms. I then use the database, C#, ASP.NET 2.0 and Office Web Components to generate reports for that data. I also have other things in the database such as backup files and descriptive data for a document library, link library, and an announcement table. It's not in use after 6pm, so I can shut the site down for a backup if needed.
The way I've been doing it is to unmount the database using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express. Then I just copy the database files..."SQL Server Database Transaction Log File (.ldf)" and the "SQL Server Database Primary Data File (.mdf)" to my backup storage.
They've been reluctant to put it on the server which runs MS Server 2003 and has a tape backup, so I have it on a Windows XP computer. They haven't wanted to purchase any versions of MS SQL, so I use Express. They haven't wanted to buy anything.
So if you can help me, my questions are: How do I automate backup for the SQL server for free? If I can't do it for free, what are their options for a program that can be purchased to do this? Can a script be written and scheduled to unmount the database and copy it to another location (such as the networked drive on the server that is backedup by tape)? If I convince them to place it on the server, would a tape backup work since the database isn't unmounted (I think they use Symantic Backup Exec)?
Thanks!
The way I've been doing it is to unmount the database using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express. Then I just copy the database files..."SQL Server Database Transaction Log File (.ldf)" and the "SQL Server Database Primary Data File (.mdf)" to my backup storage.
They've been reluctant to put it on the server which runs MS Server 2003 and has a tape backup, so I have it on a Windows XP computer. They haven't wanted to purchase any versions of MS SQL, so I use Express. They haven't wanted to buy anything.
So if you can help me, my questions are: How do I automate backup for the SQL server for free? If I can't do it for free, what are their options for a program that can be purchased to do this? Can a script be written and scheduled to unmount the database and copy it to another location (such as the networked drive on the server that is backedup by tape)? If I convince them to place it on the server, would a tape backup work since the database isn't unmounted (I think they use Symantic Backup Exec)?
Thanks!
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