Backing Up and Restoring System Databases

The system databases need to be backed up just as user databases are backed up. This allows the system to be rebuilt in the event of system or database failure, for example, if a hard disk fails. It is important to have regular backups of the following system databases:

• master
  
• msdb
  
  
• distribution (when the server is configured as a replication Distributor)
  
  
• model (if modified)

Note  It is not possible to back up the tempdb system database. tempdb is rebuilt each time an instance of Microsoft® SQL Server™ is started. When an instance of SQL Server is shut down, any data in tempdb is deleted permanently.