Knowing how to backup and restore a database is one of the most fundamental skills, that you need to have when managing your database environment.

There are different ways to do backup and restore. It can be done through SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) by using stored procedures, or through SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS). These backup tasks can also be done with PowerShell. With all these different options, the key is to determine which tool is best suited for the particular task.

Doing the backups and restores using PowerShell has its own advantages, including the ability to automate backups across multiple servers and applications, and being able to retrieve, consolidate, and filter all backup histories if needed. SQL Server also comes with backup and restore cmdlets, introduced in SQL Server 2012. In addition, you can still tap into SQL Server Management Objects if you need more flexibility.