SQL Backup enables you to create smaller, faster, more robust and reliable backups of Microsoft SQL Server databases, much more quickly than you can create native backup files.

Select the type of backup you require: Full - creates a complete copy of the selected database. Differential - creates a partial copy of the selected database. Only the changes since the last full backup was made are copied. You must create a full backup of the database before you can perform a differential backup. Transaction log - copies all the log records that have been written to the live transaction log since the first full or differential backup and the last transaction log backup. You can back up the live transaction log only if the database uses the FULL or BULK LOGGED recovery model, and you have previously created a full backup. To truncate the live transaction log, select the Remove inactive entries from transaction log check box. Filegroups or files - creates a backup of selected files and filegroups.

SQL Backup provides a wizard for you to specify the locations and file names for your backups, and for managing existing backup files. Choose: Single backup file - to create each backup as a single file. Single backup file, mirrored to second location - to create the backup as a single file and simultaneously make a duplicate of the backup during the backup process. This option is only available when you have selected a single database to back up. During the backup process, a warning is raised if any of the files cannot be written. However, the backup process continues as long as at least one specified backup file can be written. If none of the files can be written, an error is raised and the backup process is stopped. Split backup into multiple files - to store each backup across a number of files. Splitting the backup can speed up the backup process if backing up to a single file does not fully use the Input/Output capacity of your disks. For a single database backup, you can split (or 'stripe') your backup files across a number of disks. For multiple database backups, you can specify the number of files to split each database backup into (on the same disk). All backup files must be available when you restore the backup.

With SQL Backup's compression, your backup files are usually 50% to 95% smaller than native SQL Server backups. You can also encrypt your backup files using 128- or 256-bit key Advanced Encryption Standard encryption.

SQL Backup provides the Schedule Backup Jobs wizard to guide you through the process of setting up scheduled SQL Server Agent backup jobs that use SQL Backup to perform the backup. You can use the Schedule Backup Jobs wizard to generate a SQL script for backing up multiple databases. You can then view this script and use it as a basis for your own multiple database backup scripts. The Schedule Backup Jobs wizard automatically sets up a job step using the RAISERROR command so that the SQL Server Agent reports an error if the SQL Backup command fails.

SQL Backup provides the Reporting feature for you to generate reports on completed backups that have been performed by SQL Backup version 5 or later. You can create the following reports on a selected SQL Server instance or instances, within specified dates: All backup history - lists all backups that have completed. This includes successful backups, backups that have warnings associated with them, and failed backups. For reports on multiple SQL Servers, this includes only backups performed by SQL Backup version 5 or later. Backups with warnings - lists all completed backups that have warnings associated with them. Failed backups - lists all completed backups that have failed.

SQL Backup provides a wizard to guide you through the process of Restoring Backups. The Restore wizard comprises the following steps: Step 1: Select the database backups to restore. If necessary, enter the passwords for encrypted backups. Step 2: Specify the database to which you want to restore the backups. Step 3: Configure your settings for restoring the backups. Step 4: Review the restore summary, and start the restore process. You can restore multiple full, differential, and transaction log backups that belong to the same backup set using the graphical user interface. For example, you can restore a full and differential backup for the same database at the same time.