SQLExpress2005, Backups to File, and Maintenance Tools

Andrea Montanari

2007-12-04 17:19:25 UTC

hi SB,

Post by SB
Greetings all,
I have a third-party app that used to use MSDE 2000. In order to
ensure we were able to backup the data from this app, we would
connect using Enterprise Manager to configure the database to create
a file backup every night into a specified folder.

AFAIK, this use of EM is illegal with MSDE...

Post by SB
Now the vendor
has moved to SQLExpress2005 and I don't know where to start to
accomplish the same results. Can someone point me in the correct
location so I know where to begin?

this can not be "directly" done with SQLExpress as it misses the SQL Servar
Agent, the "module" responsible for scheduling tasks such as the one you are
requiring..
-you can rely on "tasks" scheduled via the native OS scheduler (AT /
SCHTASKS) where you will prepare a bat or cmd file where all the
Transact-SQL statements required to perform your need are executed via the
command line utilities provided with SQLExpress, oSql.exe or SqlCMD.exe;
-you can use third party tools, like
http://www.valesoftware.com/products-express-agent.php, providing an
alternative to the SQL Server Agent;
-you can use the Service Broker architecture like described in
http://blogs.msdn.com/rogerwolterblog/archive/2006/04/13/575974.aspx ..

personally I go for the first solution, simple and cheap ( :) ) as nothing
is required in addition to your toolset, and you can eventually add
"features" like http://www.sqldbatips.com/showarticle.asp?ID=27 and
http://www.sqldbatips.com/showarticle.asp?ID=29

--
Andrea Montanari (Microsoft MVP - SQL Server)
http://www.asql.biz http://italy.mvps.org
DbaMgr2k ver 0.21.0 - DbaMgr ver 0.65.0 and further SQL Tools
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