SQL Server 2008 Backup to networked drive

Question

When I go to backup a SQL database - I only see options to do the backup on a local disk.

Is it possible to backup to a network drive directly?

Answer 1

Yes. You can either do it using t-sql or by just typing in the unc path (\\server\share\folder\file.ext). There is no browse dialog or anything to help you find the path. Part of the reason for that is that the backup runs under a different account than the dialog does, so access to any network paths can't be determined by the dialog.