Backing up eLab

To backup eLab, follow these steps.

Click the Database Maintenance button from the Administration group on the Home menu. The Database Maintenance wizard is displayed.
Note: You will need the appropriate permissions to access this option.

Figure 38.1. The Maintenance wizard - Options screen.
Click on the Backup database button.

Figure 38.2. The Maintenance wizard - Server and database screen .
In the SQL Server Name box, select the server that hosts the eLab database. The Database view is populated with the list of databases hosted by that server. Click the database that you want to backup and click next.
Note:
- To refresh the list of servers click the Refresh button.
- A red highlighted row indicates that it has been more than seven days since the database was backed up.
- In a typical installation of eLab there will be one server and one database.
Figure 38.3. The Maintenance wizard - Backup general screen.
Select the backup type. If this is the first backup, choose Full.
Enter a name for the backup set in the Name box.
Optionally, in the Description box, enter a description of the backup set.
Specify when the backup set will expire:
- If the backup set does not expire click Never, this is the default option.
- To have the backup set expire after a specific number of days, click After, and enter the number of days.
- To have the backup set expire on a specific date, click On, and select the date on which the set will expire.
Enter a location for the backup, or click the button to the right of the Backup file box and select a location.
To remove a backup destination, select it and click Remove. To view the contents of a backup destination, select it and click Contents.
Click Next.

Figure 38.4. The Maintenance wizard - Backup options screen.
Select an Overwrite Media option, by clicking one of the following:
- Append to existing backup set. This option adds the backup to the end of the backup file, retaining the existing backups.
- Overwrite the existing backup sets. This option erases all the existing backup sets from the backup file.
In the Reliability section, optionally check:
- Verify backup when finished. This verifies that the backup file is readable once the backup is complete.
- Perform checksum before writing to media, and, optionally, Continue on checksum error. This option verifies checksums before writing to the backup file.
In the Transaction log section, optionally check one of the following:
- Truncate the transaction log. This option backs up the transaction log and truncates it to free space.
- Backup the tail of the transaction log and leave the database in a restoring state. This option creates a tail-log backup, which backs up logs that have not yet been backed up, typically, in preparation for restoring the database. If you select this option, the eLab database will be unavailable to users until it is completely restored.
Optionally, click the check box next to Set password and enter a password for accessing the backup file.
Click Next and click Accept.
When the backup has completed click Close.