SQL BACKUP DATABASE for SQL Server

The SQL BACKUP DATABASE Statement

The BACKUP DATABASE statement is used in SQL Server to create a full back up of an existing SQL database.

Syntax

SQL 
BACKUP DATABASE databasename
TO DISK = 'filepath';

The SQL BACKUP WITH DIFFERENTIAL Statement

A differential back up only backs up the parts of the database that have changed since the last full database backup.

Syntax

SQL 
BACKUP DATABASE databasename
TO DISK = 'filepath'
WITH DIFFERENTIAL;

BACKUP DATABASE Example

The following SQL statement creates a full back up of the existing database “testDB” to the D disk:

SQL 
BACKUP DATABASE testDB
TO DISK = 'D:\backups\testDB.bak';

BACKUP WITH DIFFERENTIAL Example

The following SQL statement creates a differential back up of the database “testDB”:

SQL 
BACKUP DATABASE testDB
TO DISK = 'D:\backups\testDB.bak'
WITH DIFFERENTIAL;