Most of us frequently run into the need to compress our SQL Server backup files. It could be because we have limited disk resources to store the backups, or maybe we need to copy the backups onto a removable media that is limited in size (CD-ROM, DVD), or we need to move the backups to a remote location via communication links.

The typical steps to compress a regular backup file would be similar to the following:

Database	Backup	Native backup file	Compress	Compressed file

Your disk storage must be large enough to hold a copy of the backup file and also a copy of the compressed backup file. Depending on the backup application used, you may well need even more disk storage for the backup application to use as a work area.

For example, if your database was 10 GB in size, you would need approximately 10 GB to hold the backup file and another 2 GB to hold the compressed file (assuming a compression ratio of 80%).

During the restore phase the process is reversed:

Compressed file	Uncompress	Native backup file	Restore	Database

Again, you need enough disk storage to store the compressed backup file and also the native backup file. In our example, that would amount to 12 GB.

SQL Backup essentially allows you to skip creating the native backup file. A backup process using SQL Backup would look like this:

Database	Backup using SQL Backup	Compressed file

You now need only 2 GB to hold the backup file. The restore phase would reverse the process as follows:

Compressed file	Restore using SQL Backup	Database

It is clear that SQL Backup dispenses with the need to create a native backup file. If required, SQL Backup can also generate a native backup file from the compressed file for use where the party you are sending the compressed file to does not have SQL Backup installed.

In addition to disk storage space saved, you will also save time. In every case that we've encountered, performing the compression using an external backup application took significantly longer than direct compression using SQL Backup.

You can do more than just compress backups with SQL Backup. Among its other features are the following:

• Encrypt your backups using Rijndael encryption.
• Generate two or more identical backup files simultaneously, known as mirrored backups.
• Send a log of the process to one or more email accounts.

Download an evaluation copy of SQL Backup now and start shrinking those backups!