In following instruction : Server A is the source SQL Server , Server B is the target one.
Requirements:
- Both server have SQL Server Backup software installed.
- Both SQL server's have same database edition , at lease A is lower than B's SQL Server.
- If your servers have direct network connection , Source server A should has a profession edition of SQL Server Backup installed , and a std edition at lease installed on server B.
- If Server A and B is on same machine ,you need only one license SQL Server Backup software.
If your servers have direct network connection , that is easy ,there two ways:
1 . Copy database by using backup and restore jobs:
- Server A : add target backup agent in SQL Instance configuration window.
- Server A : create backups job to create database backup to a backup device.
- Server A : create a restore job to restore backup to target backup agent.
- Server A : Schedule backup and restore job to run automatically.
For this way , when the restore job runs , it always starts from a full backup . if your database is a big one , please do not use this method.
2 . Copy database by using log shipping job:
- Server A : add target backup agent in SQL Instance configuration window.
- Server A : create log shipping job that copy database from server A to B .
- Server A : Schedule this log shipping job.
For this way, if you let server B' target database in standby state , it dose not start from full backup every time , and most of time , it only copies the modified data from server A to B. this method is recommended.
If your servers have no direct network connection , and the backup is copied manually via USB drive .etc:
- On server A , create a backup job for source database.
- On server B , create a backup device for A's backup.
- On server B , import backups on this device. this step need to be done only once.
- On Server B , create restore job that use these imported backup and run once.
- On Server B , after restore job runs once , re-configure this job and enabled import backup automatically from shared device ,then schedule it to copy database periodically.
- Copy backup periodically from server A to B's backup directory.