The following procedure assumes that a storage with a container has already been created in the Microsoft Azure Portal. The backup can be implemented with the following steps.

Step 1: Create a new SQL job as shown in the following screenshot:

Step 2: Create credentials in the Security section for connecting to the Azure cloud as shown below: 

The “Identity” field should be filled in with the  Microsoft Azure storage name.  The password is the primary key used in creating Manage Access Keys on Azure cloud.  

Step 3: Use the following code in the SQL job step Transact-SQL Script (T-SQL) and select the desired database to be backed up to Azure cloud.

DECLARE @path VARCHAR(500)

DECLARE @name VARCHAR(500)

DECLARE @filename VARCHAR(256)

DECLARE @time DATETIME

DECLARE @year VARCHAR(4)

DECLARE @month VARCHAR(2)

DECLARE @day VARCHAR(2)

DECLARE @hour VARCHAR(2)

DECLARE @minute VARCHAR(2)

DECLARE @second VARCHAR(2)

SELECT @time = GETDATE()

SELECT @year   = (SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR(4), DATEPART(yy, @time)))

SELECT @month  = (SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR(2), FORMAT(DATEPART(mm,@time),’00’)))

SELECT @day    = (SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR(2), FORMAT(DATEPART(dd,@time),’00’)))

SELECT @hour   = (SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR(2), FORMAT(DATEPART(hh,@time),’00’)))

SELECT @minute = (SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR(2), FORMAT(DATEPART(mi,@time),’00’)))

SELECT @second = (SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR(2), FORMAT(DATEPART(ss,@time),’00’)))

set @name = ‘[Database Name…]‘;

       SET @fileName =  @name + ‘_backup_’ + @year + @month + @day + ‘_’ + @hour + @minute + @second + ‘.BAK’  

  set @path = N’https://[Azure Cloud Url path with container name…]/’ + @fileName;

       BACKUP DATABASE [Database Name…]

TO  URL =  @path 

WITH  CREDENTIAL = N’[Database Name…]Credential’  , NOFORMAT, NOINIT,  

NAME = N'[Database Name…]-Full Database Backup’, NOSKIP, NOREWIND, NOUNLOAD,  STATS = 10

GO

Step 4: Add the desired schedule (daily, weekly or monthly) in the schedules tab and specify exact time for creating a backup on the Azure cloud. Don’t forget to ‘Enable’ the job after completing the time schedule.

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