How can I backup a remote SQL Server database to a local drive?

Question

I need to copy a database from a remote server to a local one. I tried to use SQL Server Management Studio, but it only backs up to a drive on the remote server.

Som

Answer 1

I know this is an older post, but for what it's worth, I've found that the "simplest" solution is to just right-click on the database, and select "Tasks" -> "Export Data-tier Application". It's possible that this option is only available because the server is hosted on Azure (from what I remember working with Azure in the past, the .bacpac format was quite common there).

Once that's done, you can right-click on your local server "Databases" list, and use the "Import Data-tier Application" to get the data to your local machine using the .bacpac file.

Just bear in mind the export could take a long time. Took roughly two hours for mine to finish exporting. Import part is much faster, though.