Create a Backup Device in SQL Server 2000
A SQL Server Backup Device Serves as a Repository for Your Backups
Description:
Probably the most convenient method to perform database backups in SQL Server is through the use of a backup device. A backup device has a logical component (which is a device name that you refer to when doing the backup) and a physical component (the physical path associated with the device). You can create backup devices to backup to disk, named pipe, or to tape. The examples in this section back up to a local drive on disk. Keep in mind that these examples are for illustrative purposes only. Your backups should not go to the same disk that your data or transaction log files reside on.
(back to top)Requirements:
- As with all of the exercises on this site, do not perform this exercise on a production server - perform this exercise in a closed development environment
Setup:
None required
(back to top)GUI Steps:
1) Right click on “Backup” from the management folder and choose “New Backup Device”
2) The Backup Device Properties screen comes up. Choose a name for your backup device and a file location, then click ‘OK’.
3) After hitting ‘OK’, you can return to enterprise manager and left click on backup. The backup device you created will now appear in the window on the right. You will now be able to specify that backups go to the ‘producutionbackups’ device. Its physical location is also shown below, this is where the backup device is located. If you don't see the backup device, refresh the view.
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T-SQL Steps:
1) We are making a backup device with a logical name of ‘testbackups’ that will back up to disk. We already have a location for our production database backups, we can put our test database backups here. (You probably shouldn't have your test and production databases on the same box, but this is just an exercise).
2) The result is that we now have two different backup devices to use to store various backups. Note that you will have to right click on 'backup' within the management folder and hit refresh to see the new backup device 'testbackups'.
