How to Schedule Automated SQL Database Backups

Never rely on someone manually clicking "Backup" in SSMS. Database backups must be automated. Here is how to configure them using SQL Server Agent.

Using Maintenance Plans

In SSMS, expand the Management folder, right-click Maintenance Plans, and select the Wizard. The wizard allows you to visually build a backup routine.

The Ideal Schedule

• Full Backups: Run once a week (e.g., Sunday at 2 AM).
• Differential Backups: Run daily at night. They are smaller and only backup what changed since Sunday.
• Transaction Log Backups: Run every 15 to 60 minutes during business hours. This allows you to perform Point-In-Time recovery.