Should You Back Up Your System Databases?

It goes without saying that as a DBA, one of your most important tasks is to schedule and ensure regular backups of your databases. But by ‘databases’ here, we usually mean your user-created databases. But SQL Server also automatically creates and maintains a number of system databases. So should you also back these up? Well, the answer isn’t a simple yes or no …

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Automated Database Backup-and-Restore for SQL Server

As a DBA, you have almost certainly taken a backup from one server for the purposes of restoration on another server. It’s a somewhat tedious and manual process, but most of us are sort of resigned to it and accept it simply as a necessary evil of the DBA role. I mean, it’s not like you can automate the entire process, right? Well, hold that thought …

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