How to Back Up a Database: Practical Guide for MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL and Oracle

Backing up a database is not optional: it’s the safety net of any digital project. A server failure, human error or ransomware attack can bring an application down for good if there are no recent, tested backups available.

The idea is always the same —create a consistent copy of your data so you can restore it later— but the exact steps vary depending on the database engine (DBMS): MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL or Oracle. This guide walks through the most common methods, both graphical and command-line, and closes with best practices you should apply in production.

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Basic concepts before you start

Before diving into each system, it’s worth clarifying some recurring terms:

• Full backup: a copy of all data (and often the structure) of the database.
• Differential backup: copies only the changes since the last full backup.
• Incremental backup: copies only the changes since the last backup (full or incremental).
• Automation: scheduling backups to run automatically at defined times.
• Safe storage: keeping backups away from the main database server (another server, network storage, cloud, etc.).

With that in mind, let’s see how it works in the main engines.

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How to back up a MySQL database

In MySQL, the most common options are:

• A GUI tool like MySQL Workbench.
• The command-line utility mysqldump.

Backup with MySQL Workbench

MySQL Workbench is convenient if you prefer a graphical environment:

1. Open MySQL Workbench and connect to the server.
2. Go to the Administration section in the left panel.
3. Click on Data Export.
4. Select the schema (database) you want to back up.
5. Choose the export type:
   • Export to Dump Project Folder: creates multiple .sql files, one per table.
   • Export to Self-Contained File: generates a single .sql file with the entire database.
6. Click Start Export and wait for the process to finish.

The result is one or more .sql files containing the SQL needed to recreate tables and data on another server or later in time.

Backup with mysqldump (command line)

For automation and more control, mysqldump is the classic tool. Two basic examples:

Export to a plain text .sql file:

mysqldump -u USER_NAME -p DATABASE_NAME > /path/backup.sql
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

You’ll be prompted for the password after -p.

Export and compress in a single step:

mysqldump -u USER_NAME -p DATABASE_NAME | gzip > /path/backup.sql.gz
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

This second command is very useful for large databases where you want to save disk space.
On Linux/Unix systems it’s common to combine it with cron to schedule daily or even hourly backups.

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How to back up a SQL Server database

In Microsoft SQL Server, the reference tool is SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), which provides a full backup wizard.

Backup with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

1. Open SSMS and connect to the SQL Server instance.
2. In Object Explorer, expand the Databases folder.
3. Right-click the database you want to back up → Tasks → Back Up….
4. In the dialog window, review:
   • Backup type:
     • Full.
     • Differential.
     • Transaction log (where supported and when the recovery model allows it).
   • Destination: path and name of the .bak file.
5. Optionally, configure advanced options (compression, verification, etc.).
6. Click OK to start the backup.

The resulting file usually has a .bak extension and can be restored from SSMS itself or using RESTORE DATABASE in T-SQL.

In professional setups, it’s common to combine full, differential and log backups to minimise data loss.

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How to back up a PostgreSQL database

In PostgreSQL, the two most common routes are:

• The command-line utility pg_dump.
• The graphical client pgAdmin.

Backup with pg_dump (command line)

Backup in plain SQL format:

pg_dump -U USER_NAME -h HOST DATABASE_NAME > /path/backup.sql
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

This generates a .sql file with all the commands needed to recreate the database.

Backup in custom (binary) format:

pg_dump -U USER_NAME -h HOST -F c DATABASE_NAME > /path/backup.dump
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

The -F c (custom) format is binary and is restored using pg_restore. It’s more flexible for selective restores (for example, a single table).

Backup with pgAdmin

1. Open pgAdmin and connect to the server.
2. In the object browser, right-click the database → Backup….
3. Choose:
   • The file name.
   • Output format (custom, tar, plain, etc.).
4. Configure additional options (include roles, data-only, schema-only, etc.) if needed.
5. Click Backup to start the process.

This method is handy if you’re not used to the command line or you work primarily from graphical tools.

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How to back up an Oracle database

In Oracle, the most common ways to export data and structure are:

• The Data Pump Export tool (expdp).
• The graphical client SQL Developer.

Backup with Data Pump Export (expdp)

Data Pump is the evolution of the older exp/imp utilities. An example schema export:

expdp USER/PASSWORD schemas=SCHEMA_NAME \
  directory=ORACLE_DIRECTORY_NAME \
  dumpfile=backup.dmp \
  logfile=backup.log

Key points:

• directory is not a filesystem path, but an Oracle DIRECTORY object previously created and pointing to a physical path on the server.
• dumpfile is the binary file containing the export.
• logfile stores the process log (errors, warnings, timings, etc.).

Backup with SQL Developer

Useful for simpler scenarios or development environments:

1. Open SQL Developer and connect to the database.
2. Go to Tools > Preferences and review the options under Database > Utilities > Export.
3. Use the export wizard to:
   • Select the schema or tables you want to export.
   • Choose the format (for example, INSERT scripts).
   • Decide whether you want a single file.
4. Follow the wizard to generate the file with the data and, optionally, the structure.

This is often used to move data between dev environments, take partial copies or generate reproducible scripts.

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Summary of backup tools by engine

Engine	Command-line tools	Main GUI tool	Typical formats
MySQL	mysqldump	MySQL Workbench	.sql, .sql.gz
SQL Server	T-SQL (BACKUP DATABASE) via SSMS	SQL Server Management Studio	.bak
PostgreSQL	pg_dump, pg_dumpall	pgAdmin	.sql, .dump, .tar
Oracle	expdp (Data Pump Export)	SQL Developer	.dmp + log, SQL scripts

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Best practices for backing up databases in production

1. Always automate when possible

Use cron (Linux/Unix), Task Scheduler (Windows) or vendor-specific schedulers so backups don’t rely on manual actions. A typical pattern:

• Full backup daily or weekly (depending on size and criticality).
• Incremental or log backups more frequently (every few minutes or hours).

2. Store backups away from the main server

A disk failure, data centre incident or ransomware attack can kill both the database and its backups if they’re on the same machine. Recommended:

• Store backups on another server, a storage appliance, in the cloud or on remote media.
• Follow the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies of your data, on 2 different media, 1 in a different location.

3. Test restores regularly

Having backups is not enough: you must prove you can restore them. Good practice:

• Schedule restore tests in a pre-production environment.
• Check your recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO).
• Document the recovery steps so you’re not improvising during an incident.

4. Define a retention policy

Not every backup should be kept forever. Depending on legal and operational needs, you can define policies such as:

• Daily backups for the last 7–14 days.
• Weekly backups for the last 2–3 months.
• Monthly backups for the last 6–12 months.

A clear policy keeps storage usage under control without compromising recoverability.

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Frequently asked questions about database backups

1. How often should I back up my database?
It depends on how much data you can afford to lose. If your business can’t lose more than 15 minutes of data, backups (or log capture) must happen at least every 15 minutes. As a baseline, many setups combine a daily full backup with more frequent incremental or log backups.

2. Are occasional manual backups enough?
Not in production. Manual backups are easy to forget and don’t guarantee consistency over time. The recommendation is to automate backups and periodically check that they run correctly and that the resulting files are not corrupted.

3. Which is better: full, differential or incremental backups?
There’s no single answer. Full backups are simpler to restore but take more time and space. Differential and incremental backups reduce backup size but make restoration a bit more complex. The most common strategy is to combine a periodic full backup (e.g. weekly) with daily differential or incremental backups.

4. Can I back up a database just by copying the data files?
In most engines, copying data files “on the fly” without using the official tools can result in inconsistent backups. It’s safer to use the database’s own backup utilities (mysqldump, pg_dump, BACKUP DATABASE, expdp, etc.) or transaction-aware snapshot mechanisms that guarantee consistency at the database level.