How to Backup Your MS SQL Database

Overview

You can back up a shared MS SQL database at any time from the Everleap Control Panel. The backup file is written to one of your sites, so you can download it by FTP and keep a copy off site. If you only need a recent copy, you may not need to create a backup at all: the SQL server already takes a nightly one, and you can retrieve that instead.

Creating a backup

Log in to the Everleap Control Panel at cp.everleap.com.
From the top menu click Databases, then Shared MS SQL.

The Databases menu open in the Everleap Control Panel with Shared MS SQL highlighted under Shared Cloud Hosting Plan

On the MS SQL Databases page, click Manage next to the database you want to back up.

The MS SQL Databases page listing databases with a Manage link on each row

Click the BACKUP tab.

The MS SQL Database Overview page showing the OVERVIEW, BACKUP, RESTORE and ATTACH tabs above the Disk Space and General Information panels

In the Create new backup panel, choose a Site Location. The backup file will be written to that site's DatabaseBackup directory.
Tick or clear Compress backup to Zip.
Click Create New Backup.

The MS SQL Database Backup page showing the Create new backup panel with Site Location, the Compress backup to Zip checkbox and the Create New Backup button, and below it the Retrieve backup from SQL backup server panel

Verify it worked

Connect to the site you chose by FTP and open its DatabaseBackup directory. The backup file will be there, as a .bak file or a .zip if you chose to compress it. Download it to keep an off site copy.

Retrieving a nightly backup instead

The SQL server takes an automatic nightly backup of your databases. If you want yesterday's data rather than a backup taken right now, retrieve one of those:

On the same BACKUP tab, scroll down to Retrieve backup from SQL backup server.
Open the SQL Backup Date dropdown and choose a backup. Each entry shows the backup filename and the date it was taken.
Choose a Site Location, and tick Compress backup to Zip if you want it zipped.
Click Retrieve Backup.

The file lands in the same place, the DatabaseBackup directory of the site you chose.

Notes

Backups are written to a site, so you need at least one site on the account to use this tool.
Database backups older than 1 year are removed from your site.
Deleting a database also detaches it from the nightly backups held on our backup server. Retrieve anything you need before deleting a database.
To put a backup back, use the RESTORE tab on the same page. Upload the .BAK file to a site's DatabaseBackup directory first, then select it from the BAK File Name list.

Article ID: 1717, Created: 3/25/2023 at 2:29 PM, Modified: 8/14/2026 at 7:37 PM