Setting up Database Backups

Microsoft SQL Server offers various backup options (SQL Agent etc.). See the Microsoft Knowledge Base for further details.

The following outlines the backup configuration if Citavi for DBServer is used with the Express edition of Microsoft SQL Server only.

Configuring Backups for a Database with Microsoft SQL Server Express

Since Microsoft SQL Server Express does not offer an integrated backup feature, you can use the Citavi DBServer Manager to set up backups for databases on SQL Server Express.

Backups can only be configured with DBServer Manager if Citavi is installed on the same computer on which SQL Server Express is being run, since a Windows task needs to be set up for the recurring execution of the Citavi DBServer Manager backup configuration in order to ensure that backups are created regularly.

  1. Under Actions > Database > Configure backups.
  2. Click Browse to select the folder in which the backup file should be saved. The user account that is running the SQL Server service must have editing and reading permissions for the folder.
  3. To make sure that you have the correct permissions for the folder you selected, open the Windows Services feature:
    1. Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools > Services.
    2. Right-click the service SQL Server (NAME).
    3. Select Properties > Log On. Copy the entry in the This account field.
    4. Switch to the Windows Explorer. Right-click the folder in which you want to save backups.
    5. Click Properties and switch to the Security tab.
    6. Click Edit, and then click Add.
    7. Paste the contents of the Clipboard in the box Enter the object names to select.

Please note:

If the SQL Server service is run with a virtual service account (for example, NT Service\MSSQL$CITAVISERVER), this login name is only recognized by the MS SQL Server. In this case:
A. Click "Paths", select the local computer, and click OK.
B. If you want to save the backup files on another computer in the network, add the computer account for your MS SQL Server to the NTFS permissions for the backup directory.
Background: Services run under a virtual account use the credentials from your computer account to access network resources using the format <domain name>\<computer name>$.

    1. Click Check Names and then click OK.
    2. Make sure that the following permissions have a checkmark in the Allow column: Modify; Read & Execute; List folder contents; Read; Write.
  1. In DBServer Manager select the maximum number of backup versions to be saved. Older backups beyond this number will be deleted automatically unless you disable the option Delete older backups.
  2. If you want you can create email notifications for failed and successful backups. After selecting the settings you want, click Send test message.
  3. Click Run to manually create the first backup. The Citavi BackupHelper application starts and creates a backup of the database and all of the Citavi projects it contains. Backups are saved in the folder you selected with a time stamp (for example, CitaviProjectsACME 2018-11-11 10-45-02.bak).

Using the Task Scheduler to Automate Backups

  1. Switch to the Windows Task Scheduler: Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools > Task Scheduler.
  2. Click Action > Create Basic Task.
  3. Enter a name for the task, and then click Next.
  4. Under Trigger select how often the task should be repeated, and then click Next. Select when the task should start and recur, and then click Next.
  5. Under Action, select Start a program.
  6. Click Browse and then select the path Program Files (x86)\Citavi 6\bin\BackupHelper.exe. The other fields in this section can be left empty.
  7. Click Next, and then click Finish.

Restoring a Database from a Backup

  1. In Citavi DBServer Manager under Actions > Database, click Restore from backup.
  2. Select the backup for the database that you want to restore.
  3. Enter a new name or confirm the displayed name for the database you want to restore.
  4. Wait for the following message to appear: "The information from the database "[Name]" was successfully restored in the new database "[Name RECOVERED]".
  5. Delete the database you want to replace with the backup copy.
  6. After confirming the name of the database in step (3), under Actions > Database, click Rename and delete the word RECOVERED from the name of the restored database.
  7. Wait for the following message to appear: "The database name "[Name RECOVERED]" was successfully changed to "[Name]".

Managing Backups

  1. In Citavi DBServer Manager on the Tools menu, click Manage backups.
  2. Select the backup from the list and then select whether you want to edit or delete it.