The BACKUP command creates copies of all files that reside in the paths defined for the specified location, including paths associated with storage groups.
You can use the BACKUP command only if the location being backed up is not currently in use by you or another user. You can use the BACKUP command with or without using the roll forward logging feature.
When backing up a location you can specify whether you want to back up index files. If you need to restore a location from a backup that did not include the index files, you will need to rebuild the indexes using COMPACT LOCATION AND INDEX command.
BACKUP copies the files to the device and path you specify. This may be a tape drive, a file server, or a different disk drive. Use the Restore Utility to return the archived location to your hard disk.
See the chapter Backup and Recovery and the SQL Reference for additional information on the BACKUP command.