Simple script to backup all SQL Server databases

ProblemSometimes things that seem complicated are much easier then you think and this is the power of using T-SQL to take care of repetitive tasks.  One of these tasks may be the need to backup all databases on your server.   This is not a big deal if you have a handful of databases, but I have seen several servers where there are 100+ databases on the same instance of SQL Server.  You could use Enterprise Manager to backup the databases or even use Maintenance Plans, but using T-SQL is a much simpler and faster approach.
SolutionWith the use of T-SQL you can generate your backup commands and with the use of cursors you can cursor through all of your databases to back them up one by one.  This is a very straight forward process and you only need a handful of commands to do this. 
Here is the script that will allow you to backup each database within your instance of SQL Server.  You will need to change the @path to the appropriate backup directory and each backup file will take on the name of "DBnameYYYDDMM.BAK".


DECLARE @name VARCHAR(50) -- database name  DECLARE @path VARCHAR(256) -- path for backup files  DECLARE @fileName VARCHAR(256) -- filename for backup  DECLARE @fileDate VARCHAR(20) -- used for file name
SET @path = 'C:\Backup\' 
SELECT @fileDate = CONVERT(VARCHAR(20),GETDATE(),112)
DECLARE db_cursor CURSOR FOR 
SELECT name FROM master.dbo.sysdatabases WHERE name NOT IN ('master','model','msdb','tempdb') 
OPEN db_cursor   FETCH NEXT FROM db_cursor INTO @name  
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0   BEGIN  
       SET @fileName = @path + @name + '_' + @fileDate + '.BAK' 
       BACKUP DATABASE @name TO DISK = @fileName 

       FETCH NEXT FROM db_cursor INTO @name   END  

CLOSE db_cursor   DEALLOCATE db_cursor


In this script we are bypassing the system databases, but these could easily be included as well.  You could also change this into a stored procedure and pass in a database name or if left NULL it backups all databases.  Any way you choose to use it, this script gives you the starting point to simply backup all of your databases.
Next Steps

• Add this script to your toolbox
• Modify this script and make it a stored procedure to include one or many parameters
• Enhance the script to use additional BACKUP options