How do I automate backups of SQL Server and SQL Server Express databases
If you are using SliQ Invoicing in server mode with a SQL Server or SQL Server Express database, you may want to schedule automated backups of your company invoicing databases, e.g. have them backed up once every 24 hours at a specific time.
If you are using Microsoft's full SQL Server and not the free SQL Express edition you can set up the SQL Server Agent to perform a backup.
An easier alternative for SQL Server which also works with SQL Express is to use a program such as SQLBackupandFTP from this provider:
This program allows you to set up automated backups for one or more databases.
Please note that the backups created using the above tool, or using SQL Server Agent are not in a format suitable for restoring via SliQ Invoicing - the files are instead in a SQL Server backup format. To restore backups in SQL Server backup format either use SQLBackupAndFTP or use Microsoft's free SQL Server Management Studio. Once the backup has been restored into SQL Server/ SQL Server Express using one of these methods then SliQ can access the file and you can continue to read or raise invoices in the restored database as well as to use SliQ's own backup feature to make a backup that can be restored as a local company.
Note: When restoring a SQL Server backup always give the restored database a name beginning with "sliq", e.g. sliqMyRestoredBackup010520, as when SliQ searches for SQL Server databases containing SliQ invoices it always looks for databases with names starting with "sliq".