Re: ASP SITE with SQL Server--best way to backup?

From: Bob Franklin (RFranklin33_at_ArtnomorespamJunction.com)
Date: 03/11/04 

Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 10:49:25 -0800

Your hands may or may not be tied by the hosting provider. Find out what all
they will enable you to do. One alternative - if they'll let you do it - is
to create a DTS package that will create the backups for you, and then
schedule the DTS package to get executed at some interval (e.g, nightly or
weekly or whenever). The DTS package can do any number of things. One
possibility is to have it back up important data to an MS Access database
(.mdb file), and then in your ASP.NET application, provide links to the .mdb
file so the user can download it to their local machine. This would give you
the ability to not only back up the data but to get it off site (in case the
hosting provider's server dies) and in the hands of your non technical
client. Having it in an MS Access database is one great way to provide
access to the data to a non technical client - at least it's better than
giving them a SQL Server backup file (they'd need to restore it to an
alternative SQL Server in order to see the data).

If your hands are completely tied by the hosting provider and you can't
create and schedule the DTS package, then you can always fall back on
ADO.NET. Read the important data into a DataSet, and then enable the user to
persist it to their local machine. Remember an ADO.NET DataSet is just an
XML file.

Good Luck

Bob
MCSD, MCDBA, MCSA, MCSE

"SStory" <TheStorys@TAKEOUTTHISSPAMBUSTERsofthome.net> wrote in message
news:%23YLP6V5BEHA.628@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to post this question. I also posted
> in SQL Server area... but since it involved ASP.NET on a host site and SQL
> Server, thought appropriate to ask both groups for a good solution...
> ideas...
>
> I have written a SQL DB, and ASP.NET website for a client. The clients
> database and webpage are not inhouse but on a hosting provider.
>
> This provider says they only backup for disastor purposes--which didn't
make
> me feel to good.
>
> So my question...
>
> How can I help this non-techie client to backup her remote SQL Server
> Database regularly?
> What is the best means of doing this?
>
> Some software for her--again figure very low tech small business--no IT
> department??
>
> Some other service to do it?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Shane
>
>
>