Automating SQL Server Express Backups | SansSQL

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Automating SQL Server Express Backups

As we all know that many of the third party applications uses SQL Server Express Edition to store their backend data. And also these application will be used in Live environments which requires backing up of the databases to recover data during a disaster.
Since there is no SQL Server agent in Express Edition, we cannot schedule SQL Backups or any other DB Maintenance activities using SQL Scheduler. So for this purpose, we have to make use of the windows scheduler.
For Automating the backup process, i have developed the below query which can be used for multiple purpose and can be scheduled using windows scheduler as well as SQL Agent.

Script
:
IF  EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.objects WHERE object_id = OBJECT_ID(N'[dbo].[sp_BackupDatabases]') AND type in (N'P', N'PC'))
BEGIN
PRINT 'Stored Procedure "sp_BackupDatabases" already exists in the database. Dropping the SP to create a newer Version.'
DROP PROCEDURE [dbo].[sp_BackupDatabases]
END
GO

CREATE PROC sp_BackupDatabases (@BackupDBType nvarchar(10)='Help', @DBName nvarchar(max)=NULL, @BackupPath nvarchar(max)=NULL )
AS
/*
Author: Sandesh Segu
Website: http://www.SansSQL.com
*/
SET NOCOUNT ON

DECLARE @DateTime nvarchar(25)
SET @DateTime=LEFT(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(CONVERT(VARCHAR(30),GETDATE(),120),':',''),'-',''),' ',''),12)

IF @BackupDBType not in ('ALL','System','User','Specific','Help')
BEGIN
RAISERROR ('Incorrect Parameter Value Passed. @BackupDBType Parameters should be ''ALL'',''System'',''User'',''Specific''',16,1)
END

IF @BackupDBType<> 'HELP' and @BackupPath IS NULL
BEGIN
RAISERROR ('Specify the path to backup databases. @BackupPath must be specified',16,1)
END
IF (RIGHT(@BackupPath,1))<>'\'
BEGIN
Select @BackupPath=@BackupPath+'\'
END
ELSE
BEGIN
Select @BackupPath=@BackupPath
END

IF @BackupDBType='Help' AND @DBName IS NULL AND @BackupPath IS NULL
BEGIN
Print 'Usage of this Stored Proc can be in any of the below format.'
Print '-------------------------------------------------------------------------'
Print '1. To Backup All Databases in a instance'
Print '   Exec sp_BackupDatabases @BackupDBType = ''ALL'', @BackupPath = ''C:\Backup''' + Char(10)
Print '2. To Backup only System Databases in a instance'
Print '   Exec sp_BackupDatabases @BackupDBType = ''System'', @BackupPath = ''C:\Backup''' + Char(10)
Print '3. To Backup only User Databases in a instance'
Print '   Exec sp_BackupDatabases @BackupDBType = ''User'', @BackupPath = ''C:\Backup''' + Char(10)
Print '4. To Backup specific (One) Database(s) in a instance'
Print '   Exec sp_BackupDatabases @BackupDBType = ''Specific'', @DBName = ''AdventureWorks'', @BackupPath = ''C:\Backup''' + Char(10)
Print '5. To Backup specific (more than One) Database(s) in a instance'
Print '   Exec sp_BackupDatabases @BackupDBType = ''Specific'', @DBName = ''AdventureWorks,master,msdb'', @BackupPath = ''C:\Backup'''
Print '-------------------------------------------------------------------------'
END

IF exists (select * from sys.objects where name='BackupDatabases')
DROP TABLE BackupDatabases
CREATE TABLE BackupDatabases
(DBName nvarchar(100),
DatabaseID int,
[BackupStatement] nvarchar(max))

IF @BackupDBType='ALL' AND @DBName IS NULL AND @BackupPath IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
INSERT INTO BackupDatabases
SELECT name,database_id, '' FROM sys.databases WHERE name <>'tempdb'
END

IF @BackupDBType='System' AND @DBName IS NULL AND @BackupPath IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
INSERT INTO BackupDatabases
SELECT name,database_id, '' FROM sys.databases WHERE name in ('master', 'model','msdb')
END

IF @BackupDBType='User' AND @DBName IS NULL AND @BackupPath IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
INSERT INTO BackupDatabases
SELECT name,database_id, '' FROM sys.databases WHERE database_id>4
END

IF @BackupDBType='Specific' AND @DBName IS NULL
BEGIN
RAISERROR ('Specify the Database Name(s) to Backup. @DBName must be specified.',16,1)
END

IF @BackupDBType='Specific' AND @DBName IS NOT NULL AND @BackupPath IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
DECLARE @DelimiterPos int
-- Find the first comma
SET @DelimiterPos = PATINDEX( '%,%', @DBName)
-- If a delimiter was found, @DelimiterPos will be > 0.
WHILE @DelimiterPos > 0
BEGIN
-- Insert the value between the start of the string and the first delimiter, into the table variable.
INSERT INTO BackupDatabases
SELECT name,database_id, '' FROM sys.databases WHERE name in (SELECT CAST(LTRIM(RTRIM((SUBSTRING(@DBName, 1, @DelimiterPos -1)))) AS nvarchar      ))                  
-- Trim the string of the first value and delimiter.
SET @DBName = SUBSTRING(@DBName, @DelimiterPos +1, LEN(@DBName) - @DelimiterPos)
                       
-- Look for the next delimiter in the string.
SET @DelimiterPos = PATINDEX( '%,%', @DBName)
END
INSERT INTO BackupDatabases
SELECT name,database_id, '' FROM sys.databases WHERE name in (SELECT CAST(LTRIM(RTRIM((@DBName))) AS nvarchar))
END

UPDATE BackupDatabases SET BackupStatement= 'Print ''Backup of Database '+DBName+' Started''; Backup Database ['+DBName+'] TO DISK='''+@BackupPath+DBName+'_Backup_'+@DateTime+'.bak'' WITH INIT, STATS=10'
Print 'The Requested database(s) are being backed up to the location "'+@BackupPath+'"'
WHILE (Select COUNT(*) from BackupDatabases)>0
BEGIN
DECLARE @BackupStatement nvarchar(max)
SELECT @BackupStatement= [BackupStatement] FROM BackupDatabases
Exec sp_executesql @BackupStatement
Delete from BackupDatabases where [BackupStatement]=@BackupStatement
END
DROP TABLE BackupDatabases

SET NOCOUNT OFF
GO

Usage:
Usage of this Stored Proc can be in any of the below format.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. To Backup All Databases in a instance
   Exec sp_BackupDatabases @BackupDBType = 'ALL', @BackupPath = 'C:\Backup'

2. To Backup only System Databases in a instance
   Exec sp_BackupDatabases @BackupDBType = 'System', @BackupPath = 'C:\Backup'

3. To Backup only User Databases in a instance
   Exec sp_BackupDatabases @BackupDBType = 'User', @BackupPath = 'C:\Backup'

4. To Backup specific (One) Database(s) in a instance
   Exec sp_BackupDatabases @BackupDBType = 'Specific', @DBName = 'AdventureWorks', @BackupPath = 'C:\Backup'

5. To Backup specific (more than One) Database(s) in a instance
   Exec sp_BackupDatabases @BackupDBType = 'Specific', @DBName = 'AdventureWorks,master,msdb', @BackupPath = 'C:\Backup'

To Delete the old backups I use the below query.
DECLARE @TwoDaysOld VARCHAR(50)
Set @TwoDaysOld=CAST(DATEADD(d, -2, GETDATE()) AS VARCHAR)
Select @TwoDaysOld
Exec master.dbo.xp_delete_file 0,N'C:\Backups\',N'bak',@TwoDaysOld
This will delete any .bak files in the given location which are older than 2 days.

So after creating the sp_BackupDatabases stored proc, if we want to schedule the backups using windows scheduler than we have create a batch file (.bat file) which will be called in the windows scheduler at the scheduled time.
sqlcmd -S(local)\SQLEXPRESS -E -Q"DECLARE @TwoDaysOld VARCHAR(50) Set @TwoDaysOld=CAST(DATEADD(d, -2, GETDATE()) AS VARCHAR)
Exec master.dbo.sp_BackupDatabases @BackupDBType = 'User', @BackupPath = 'C:\Backup'
Exec master.dbo.xp_delete_file 0,N'D:\Backups\',N'bak',@TwoDaysOld"

Scripts can be downloaded from the below locations

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is awesome! Thanks so much. Pj in Florida

Unknown said...

I did everything as you described, but running but file gives an error:
Could not find stored procedure 'master.dbo.sp_BackupDatabases'. :( What is wrong with it?

Sandesh Segu said...

Please execute this SP from the database on which this is created. I think in your case, the SP is not created on master database.

Unknown said...

OK, now I understood what I did wrong.
Now I opened master database and from it I executed the sp_BackupDatabases, now the bat file works.

Before I tried to execute from New Query ... Anyway, thanks!

Unknown said...

By the way, is it possible to configure such way, that it will send an email report after completing the backup?

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