Unable to see the "maintenance plan" option on sql 2008 express server to setup the backup schedules. logged in as admin

thumma venkata sai sriram 6 Reputation points
2020-08-22T22:18:59.137+00:00

Hi Team,

I have logged in as admin on the on-prem SQL server 2008 express edition but unable to see the "maintenance plan" option under "management" to schedule the backups to Azure storage account container. We have the SQL server backup to windows Azure tool configured already and looking for help on the "maintenance plan' option which is not available .

Need attention ASAP

SQL Server
SQL Server
A family of Microsoft relational database management and analysis systems for e-commerce, line-of-business, and data warehousing solutions.
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  1. Shashank Singh 6,246 Reputation points
    2020-08-23T05:11:47.59+00:00

    Hi,

    Since you have SQL Server express edition which is free edition with limited features you do not have maintenance plan feature in it. You will also see that you do not have SQL Server agent. Since no SQL Server agent so there is hardly any point in having MP as SQL Server agent is the one which executes the plan.

    What you can do is take local SQL Server backups and then move it to storage account. Please refer to
    how-to-schedule-and-automate-backups-of-sql-server-databases-in-sql-se

    To write backups of SQL Server directly you need to have SQL Server 2012 Sp1 Cu2 atleast

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  2. Dan Guzman 9,201 Reputation points
    2020-08-23T11:01:34.227+00:00

    Adding to @Shashank Singh 's answer, consider using Ola's popular SQL Server Maintenance Solution. The T-SQL commands can be scheduled using Windows Task Scheduler for editions that don't include SQL Server Agent.

    1 person found this answer helpful.

  3. CathyJi-MSFT 21,061 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor
    2020-08-24T02:48:57.187+00:00

    Hi,

    SQL Server Express doesn't include SQL Server Agent, so it's not possible to just create SQL Agent jobs. It do not have maintenance plan option. But instead we can create jobs "manually" by creating batch files and SQL script files, and running them via Windows Task Scheduler.

    Please refer to below links to get detail steps.

    How to create jobs in SQL Server Express edition
    Scripting a Maintenance Plan in SQL Server Express