How can database administrators automate backups in Azure SQL Database?

Automating backups in Azure SQL Database can be efficiently accomplished through automatic backup policies defined in the Azure portal. Azure SQL Database inherently provides automated backup capabilities that include point-in-time restore, which are designed to help manage and secure your data smoothly without requiring manual intervention.

When using the Azure portal, administrators can set these policies to automatically back up databases on a regular schedule. This feature is built into the service, allowing for continuous data protection and minimizing the risk of data loss. It also means that DBAs do not need to worry about configuring the infrastructure for backups; Azure manages this as part of the Platform as a Service (PaaS) model.

Other options, while they may allow for backups in different scenarios, do not offer the same level of integration and ease of use as the automated policies from the Azure portal. Third-party solutions can add complexity and potential issues, manual scripting requires careful management and oversight, and task scheduling in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is not applicable to Azure SQL Database, which operates differently than traditional SQL Server on-premises setups.