We are looking for a free solution to compress our SQL Server backups for SQL Server 2005. I am aware of SQL Safe freeware edition, but I was wondering what others thought of storing backup files in compressed folders to achieve the desired result. This would allow us to use the native SQL backup tasks and native windows compression, thereby eliminating the need for third-party products.
I have not used compressed folders for anything in the past. Is this a viable idea? Are there any foreseeable issues with the integrity of the backups in a compressed folder?
Quick hint from google: backing-up-to-a-ntfs-compressed-folder. Seems that database size may create problems.
What about freeware solutions then you can run 7zip in scheduled batch after backup, should handle big files correctly. You should move backups outta production server anyway 🙂