Point-in-time Backup/Restore capability for live DB is needed. Database copies are not a solution, in part because of the cost of making daily backups of multiple DBs.

For automating backup on SQL Azure, you can look at the following codeplex url.
http://azureautobackup.codeplex.com/

This utility enables to backup of the SQL Azure database using DAC framework and store the .bacpac file in blob storage service or in local file system.

For all the guys needing backups:
you can think about exporting the database with the daccli import / export tool. http://sqldacexamples.codeplex.com/releases/view/77085

To be on the safe side for transactions.
1st copy your prod-db to a prod_copy-db
this allows you to already use it as a standby database
2nd you can export the prod_copy-db to a local file
3rd the prod_copy-db can be deleted
4th be sure that the bacpac-export file can be reimported: if there is an inconsitancy in say views or procedures the import-tool currently stops importing.
5th all the above tasks can be automated and scheduled.
That's it ...

It's one thing that you haven't delivered this yet (and as the comments below suggest we've been waiting a long time), but the worst bit about this is that you are giving us the cold shoulder in the meantime. We get a link, then NOTHING for 6 months.

Front up and be honest about it. If it's not coming until 2014, then tell us. At least we would know where we stand.

Hi any news on this? I need it too :-)

I find it absolutely unbelievable that Restore capability is not yet offered. How can the SQL Azure team claim to have a production offering with no way to recover data. This feature has been promised for well over a year. I am just baffled.

When is the functionality going to be released? Even a rough time frame would be useful.

So where are we at with this one?

Has there been any announcement regarding the CTP release?

Is there any update around the backup and restore? This is a critical part of DR, and you can be assured Microsoft have it, why not give it to their customers as they have the same contingency planning requirements, whether they are large or small..

We need easy solution to take backup and restore data from on sql azure to another Sql azure DB

This is awesome news. The only question remaining is when can I have it? I need it yesterday, no really months ago. Seriously, the quicker you can get this out, even in CTP form, the closer you get to eliminating one of the biggest reasons some can't consider SQL Azure today.

It is critical that we have a way of protecting against user or programmer error in a production database, or for historic archive. Database Copy is profibitively expensive option if you want to keep (say) 7 days + 4 weeks + n months. Ideal solution: a way of periodically backing up to a blob, and a way of restoring from a selected blob to the same or a different database.

Enable Backups is the most voted feature! after all recover-ability is a crucial factor.

- http://www.parasdoshi.com

If SQL Azure is serious about having a cloud database solution then you really need to manage the backups for us. I DON'T want to have to manage backups and schedule things myself.

Built in to SQL Azure should be the ability to do point-in-time restores. That is, I should have a feature on the SQL Azure management panel that lets me restore a database or table to what it looked like at X time and you just handle spinning through the transaction logs for me. I should be able to restore it to a new database as well and then easily swap between that and the live one (ala VIP Swap).

I realize you can't keep transaction logs forever so there'd be a limit to this. You might even let us pay for keeping logs or being able to restore past a certain time.

But this is what I'm looking for. Otherwise, I'll just go to a provider that gives me full access to my SQL Server.

Database Copy is an unacceptable solution for 3 reasons: It cannot be automated, it costs $ and only 1 backup can be made.

We need automated backups to storage, otherwise SQL Azure can't be used in real life.

Please add functionality do backup and restore a complete database from Blob storage. The file format doesnt need to be compatible with backup/restore in "normal" SQL - but without such an option I feel very unconfortable running business apps in the cloud where users are "human" and make mistakes.. sometimes big and bad mistakes..

While the database copy function is useful in some scenarios, we really need a full, VERSIONED backup solution for SQL Azure.
We have scenarios all the time where users make mistakes and ask us to check the backup from up to 2 months in the past. We currently run daily backups which we retain for 60 days which allows us to do this.
The only way we would achieve the same thing in Azure would be to copy the database to a new db every day and drop the database from 60 days ago. That means we would be paying MS for up to 61 databases!!
The sticking point here is that you guys already have the technology - Data Protection Manager - to make fast block-level incremental backups! Work with the DPM team to either implement this service in the cloud, or at the very least enable it for our on-premises DPM servers. This would be the ideal solution for us.
Implement it and watch you sales go through the roof...

Database copy can be used to copy the database and then i may have to use the sync framework to keep those databases in sync' now if i want to restore it ; then how would i tht too on cloud. i would be comfortable in knowing that customers data cannot be restored if something goes wrong with that of SQLAzure.

Thanks MS for a feature which i cannot use

With this strategy, each backup is a live sql instance.

How about a way to turn a sql db off, so it goes somewhere into persistant storage (ideally for download)

I don't want to pay monthly for sql dbs that no-one will use.

Support phone line rings: Hello…… I see, one of your users has run the year end routine by mistake and you want to restore your database from last night's backup? Ok, well, your database is SQL Azure and it is totally resilient to any kind of disaster and has a guaranteed uptime of over 99.9% and is totally scalable. It is ‘awesome’ but you can’t restore from last night’s backup so better tell your accountant that you have just started a new financial year……. No, sorry Microsoft has not implemented that feature……. Yes, I understand but it was not on their priority list……Well, you can ask your users to be more careful in their new financial year.

This is Not a conversation I want to be having with my users!