In a previous blog post, I discussed methods to address GIS errors.  One of those methods was the infamous restoration from backup.  Depending on the frequency of backup, the level of inconvenience may be minimal if the backup was taken in the not too distant past (time measured in minutes or hours, not days).

To illustrate the point….a past onsite conversion project provided challenging network conditions of periodic, sporadic service disruptions.  These disruptions caused disconnection between the ArcGIS workstation and its license server resulting in premature conversion termination.  Since the code took four to six hours to complete from its initiation, any disruption forced a restoration from backup and a return to the beginning.

To alleviate the situation, the conversion code was broken into segregated packets.  Upon the successful completion of a packet, an immediate database backup was taken.  In the event of an unsuccessful conversion due to a network “Hiccup”, a database restoration was conducted to the previous state.   This “Plan B” proved to be a successful methodology, and the completed conversion was eventually achieved.

Nightly, scheduled backups should already be in implementation.  But how does one conduct an immediate database backup via SQL Server Management Studio?  These one-time backups can save one’s back in the event of undesired results.

To produce a backup via SQL Server Management Studio and “Put it on the shelf”, conduct the following steps:

• Right-click on the desired database (SSPRocks), choose Tasks, and then Back Up from the context menus (Figure 1).