• Article

Backup Element (XMLA)

Backs up a Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services database to a backup file.

Syntax

<Command>
   <Backup>
      <Object>...</Object>
      <File>...</File>
      <Security>...</Security>
      <ApplyCompression>...</ApplyCompression>
      <AllowOverwrite>...</AllowOverwrite>
      <Password>...</Password>
      <BackupRemotePartitions>...</BackupRemotePartitions>
      <Locations>...</Locations>
   </Backup>
</Command>

Element Characteristics

Characteristic

Description

Data type and length

None

Default value

None

Cardinality

0-n: Optional element that can occur more than once.

Element Relationships

Relationship

Element

Parent elements

Command

Child elements

AllowOverwrite, ApplyCompression, BackupRemotePartitions, File, Locations, Object, Password, Security

Remarks

The Backup command backs up the Analysis Services database specified in the Object element to a backup file, and optionally backs up remote partitions to remote backup files. If the Object element refers to an object other than an Analysis Services database, an error occurs.

Which information the Backup command backs up depends on the storage mode used by objects in the database. The following table identifies the information that is backed up based upon the storage mode used.

Storage mode

Information that is backed up

Multidimensional OLAP (MOLAP)

Source data, aggregations, and metadata

Hybrid OLAP (HOLAP)

Aggregations and metadata

Relational OLAP (ROLAP)

Metadata

During a Backup command, a shared lock is placed on the Analysis Services database specified in the Object element. The shared lock releases after the Backup command has completed.

Multiple Backup commands can be run in parallel, if the commands are included in the Parallel collection of a Batch command. The Parallel collection enables a database to be backed up into multiple backup files at the same time.

For more information about backing up and restoring databases, see Backing Up, Restoring, and Synchronizing Databases (XMLA).

Security noteSecurity Note

 For each backup file, the user who runs the backup command must have permission to write to the backup location specified for each file. Also, the user must have one of the following roles: a member of a server role for the Analysis Services instance, or a member of a database role with Full Control (Administrator) permissions on the database to be backed up.