how to backup and restore only a table?

• Dan121

  SSCommitted

  Points: 1616

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  January 22, 2015 at 11:46 am

  #314725

  Hello,

  Is there any way just to backup a table (big table) and restore it on different server (different location) as a Test database? if yes, what's the best method for slow network?

  Scenario: I have a database in prod but don't have enough space on test server to restore the whole database. So I just like to restore a table and make it a database and run some tests.

• Brian Hibbert

  Ten Centuries

  Points: 1322

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  January 22, 2015 at 3:05 pm

  #1772421

  You'll probably want to use a tool other than backup to copy the data from one server to another. The Import and Export Wizard or bcp are good bets.

  https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190923(v=sql.105).aspx

  https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms141209(v=sql.105).aspx

• Lowell

  SSC Guru

  Points: 323506

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  January 22, 2015 at 3:36 pm

  #1772429

  if the two servers are on the same network, you could use a linked server and 4 part naming conventions to pull the data; easily the fastest way, assuming the linked servers exist.

  I'd script the table out without constraints and put it on Dev

  INSERT INTO TableName(ColumnList)

  SELECT ColumnList FROM MainServer.Productiondb.dbo.OriginalTable

  --WHERE CreatedDate > '12/01/2014' only partial data, maybe?

  Lowell

  ---

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• Adam Angelini

  SSCrazy Eights

  Points: 8548

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  January 22, 2015 at 3:54 pm

  #1772431

  Personally, I would use BCP. It performs well for large amounts of data.