How-toJobBOSS / JobBOSS2 (ECI)Administration / SQL Server backup

How to Back Up the JobBOSS Database

Question

how to backup jobboss database

Also searched as

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restore jobboss database
jobboss backup before upgrade

Short answer

JobBOSS stores its data in a Microsoft SQL Server database, so a backup is a SQL Server backup, not a copy of program folders. Take a full backup on a schedule, verify it with RESTORE VERIFYONLY, copy it off the server, and take an extra one immediately before any upgrade. Practise a restore into a test database at least once so you know it works.

Applies to: JobBOSS and JobBOSS2 on Microsoft SQL Server or SQL Server Express, on premises. Database names, file locations and instance names vary by installation.

Set up a reliable JobBOSS backup

1Find the SQL Server instance and the JobBOSS database name. In SQL Server Management Studio, connect to the instance and expand Databases, or check the connection settings used by the JobBOSS client.
2Check the recovery model: right-click the database, Properties, Options. Simple recovery needs only full (and optional differential) backups. Full recovery needs transaction log backups too, or the log grows without limit.
3Run a manual full backup first (T-SQL below) to a folder on a different disk than the database files.
4Schedule it. On Standard or Enterprise edition use a SQL Server Agent job. SQL Server Express has no Agent, so use Windows Task Scheduler running sqlcmd with a script.
5Verify each backup with RESTORE VERIFYONLY and CHECKSUM, and keep the result in a log.
6Copy backups off the server to a separate location, and keep several generations, not just last night's file.
7Test a restore under a different database name on a test instance, then open JobBOSS against it to confirm the data is usable.

A basic backup and verify script

Replace the bracketed name with your actual JobBOSS database. COMPRESSION is not available in every edition of Express in older versions, so remove it if the statement errors. CHECKSUM makes SQL Server validate pages as it writes.

BACKUP DATABASE [YourJobBossDb]
TO DISK = N'D:\Backups\JobBoss_full.bak'
WITH INIT, CHECKSUM, STATS = 10;

RESTORE VERIFYONLY
FROM DISK = N'D:\Backups\JobBoss_full.bak'
WITH CHECKSUM;

REM Task Scheduler on SQL Server Express
sqlcmd -S .\SQLEXPRESS -E -i D:\Scripts\jobboss_backup.sql -o D:\Backups\backup_log.txt

Pre-upgrade snapshots and restore practice

Before any JobBOSS upgrade, service pack or SQL Server patch, take a fresh full backup and keep it separate from the rotation. An upgrade can change the schema, and the only reliable way back is a restore of the earlier database along with the earlier client version.

To restore, use RESTORE DATABASE with MOVE if you are placing files in different folders, and WITH REPLACE only when you intend to overwrite the live database. Practise with a new database name first so a typing mistake cannot overwrite production.

RESTORE DATABASE [JobBoss_Test]
FROM DISK = N'D:\Backups\JobBoss_full.bak'
WITH MOVE 'YourLogicalDataName' TO 'D:\Data\JobBoss_Test.mdf',
     MOVE 'YourLogicalLogName' TO 'D:\Data\JobBoss_Test_log.ldf',
     STATS = 10;

RESTORE FILELISTONLY FROM DISK = N'D:\Backups\JobBoss_full.bak';

How often and how long to keep them

The right frequency is set by how much re-entry you can tolerate. A job shop that can re-key half a day of time tickets can live with nightly fulls. If you cannot, use full recovery with log backups every 15 to 60 minutes.

Retention should cover the time it takes to notice a problem. Corruption or a bad data load may not be noticed for days, so keep daily backups for a couple of weeks plus monthly copies, sized to your storage and audit needs.

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Main use cases

Data that must never leave the site

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JobBOSS Classic Private AI Layer Blueprint Generator

Private AI Layer Blueprint: JobBOSS Classic

Prepared for: Northfield Fabrication LLC

Scope: a private AI assistant for Not sure running on Microsoft SQL Server 2012 or 2014, hosted as: On-prem server. Named users: 45. Sites or plants: 1. Target go-live: Q1 2027 for read-only phase.

Principle: the assistant reads from a copy of the system, runs open-weight models on infrastructure the company controls, and changes data only through supported interfaces after a named person approves.

1. Context and use cases

Use cases in scope: Job and operation status, late jobs by work center, material on order, delivery date questions from the sales desk.

Data that must never leave the site: Labor rates, burden and margin, customer drawings, quotes and pricing.

Available GPU: None yet.

2. Components

Component	Design for JobBOSS Classic	Notes
Data access path	Read-only SQL Server login on a restored or log-shipped copy; client or supported import for approved writes	Read-only account; no direct writes to application tables
Retrieval index	Local vector store over documents and long-text fields, tagged with customer, job and document class	Embedding model runs locally
Model serving	Open-weight model on vLLM or Ollama, GPU: None yet	Sized for 45 named users; see sizing calculator
Tool server	Approved parameterised read actions exposed through MCP or similar	Every call logged; limits on rows returned
Identity and permissions	JobBOSS user mapped to a role, with views scoped per role in the tool server	Scope applied to queries and retrieval filters
Audit	Append-only log of user, prompt, tool calls, rows returned and answer	Retained on site per company policy

3. Security controls for Northfield Fabrication LLC

Hosting: On-prem server. All inference, embeddings and indexes stay inside this boundary.

Data that must not leave: Labor rates, burden and margin, customer drawings, quotes and pricing. This data is excluded from any external service, and outbound network access from the AI components is blocked or limited to an allow list.

Access: users sign in through the company identity provider; the assistant enforces the same data scope as the system for each user. Database credentials are held in a vault and the account is read-only.

Write-back: disabled in phases 1 and 2; in phase 3 only for named actions, through supported interfaces, with human approval showing the exact change.

4. Rollout phases

Phase	Scope	Exit criteria
1: Read-only questions	Status and lookup questions over the use cases above, with the query shown to the user	Accuracy measured on a test set agreed with power users; scope tests pass
2: Documents and drafts	Document Q and A and drafted messages or transactions that a user enters manually	Citations verified; no cross-scope leakage in tests
3: Approved actions	A short list of write actions through supported interfaces with approval	Each action signed off by the business owner and IT

5. Open questions for IT

1. Which database edition, version and replication options are licensed for Microsoft SQL Server 2012 or 2014? 2. Who owns the read-only copy and its refresh schedule? 3. Which identity provider and groups map to roles for 45 users across 1 site(s)? 4. Where will the GPU host sit, and how are model files approved and updated? 5. What is the retention period for audit logs? 6. Which customer or regulatory commitments restrict where data may be processed?

Prepared by / Date

IT / Security review / Date

Business owner / Date

This is a planning document, not a security certification or legal advice. Table and API details differ by release, so verify each data access detail against your own system before building.

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Send the exported plan and a Netray engineer will review it against your JobBOSS Classic setup and flag gaps. Optional; the generator is free without it.

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Common pitfalls

!Copying the .mdf and .ldf files while SQL Server is running. That is not a valid backup.
!Storing backups on the same disk as the database, so one failure loses both.
!Full recovery model with no log backups, which fills the disk.
!Never testing a restore until the day you need it.
!Upgrading JobBOSS without a fresh pre-upgrade backup.
!Forgetting that SQL Server Express has a database size limit that backups do not warn about.

How an ERP-grounded AI assistant handles this

A read-only assistant cannot and should not take your backups, but it can answer operational questions from the SQL Server metadata, such as when the last full backup of the JobBOSS database finished, how large it is, and which jobs failed. Running on-prem means that question is answered inside your network, without sending server details outside.

See ERPray

Frequently asked questions

Where does JobBOSS store its data?

In a Microsoft SQL Server database on your server. Back up that database with SQL Server tools rather than copying application folders.

Can I back up JobBOSS on SQL Server Express?

Yes. Express supports BACKUP DATABASE, but has no SQL Server Agent, so schedule a sqlcmd script with Windows Task Scheduler.

How do I know a backup is good?

Use WITH CHECKSUM, run RESTORE VERIFYONLY, and periodically restore into a test database and open the application against it.

Do I need a backup before upgrading?

Yes. Take a fresh full backup immediately before the upgrade and keep it outside the normal rotation.

How-to

How to Install JobBOSS: Server, Workstations and Drivers

A JobBOSS install has two halves: a SQL Server database on a server, and a client (workstation) install on each PC that connects to it. Prepare the SQL Server instance and account permissions first, install the server components from the media ECI provides, then run the workstation setup on each PC and point it at the server. Most install failures come from SQL connectivity, permissions or missing prerequisites, not from the installer itself.

How-to

JobBOSS 2 vs JobBOSS: Differences, Versions and How to Update

JobBOSS2 (often written JobBOSS squared or JobBOSS 2) is ECI's newer job-shop ERP, built as a successor to the classic JobBOSS product. Classic JobBOSS is the long-running SQL Server based system; JobBOSS2 is a rewritten platform with a different interface and architecture. Updating within a product is a patch or version install; moving from classic to JobBOSS2 is a migration project with testing, not a simple update.

How-to

How to Close a Job in JobBOSS2

A job in JobBOSS2 will not close cleanly until every routing operation is marked complete, all material has been issued or returned, and all labor and cost transactions are posted. Review the job's Work In Process detail first, clear any open items, then change the job status to Complete and run final job costing before it is locked.

Error fix

E2 Shop System Error 5093: Causes and How to Troubleshoot

We could not find an authoritative public definition of E2 error 5093, so treat any single-cause answer with caution. In practice, numbered E2 errors raised at login or while opening a module come from the client talking to the database: a changed server name, a SQL permission or login problem, a missing or mismatched driver, or a network or firewall change. Isolate which with the checks below and give Shoptech support the exact context.

How-to

E2 Shop System 7.2 (Shoptech): Versions, Manuals, Training, Support and Reporting

E2 Shop System is Shoptech's ERP and MRP software for job shops and make-to-order manufacturers, covering quoting, orders, scheduling, purchasing, inventory, shop floor tracking and accounting integration. Version 7.2 is one release in its line. For manuals, training, support and upgrade eligibility, Shoptech and its resellers are the authoritative source, so confirm details for your own license.

How-to

JobBOSS Public API: What Integration Options Exist for JobBOSS and JobBOSS2

Classic JobBOSS stores data in Microsoft SQL Server, so most custom integrations read it by SQL and write through supported import tools or the vendor's SDK rather than by raw inserts. JobBOSS2 is a newer product and its API and database access depend on how it is hosted and licensed, so confirm with the vendor what is available for your edition before designing around it.

AI for ERP

AI for ECI JobBOSS2 and E2 Shop System

Add AI to ECI JobBOSS2 or E2 Shop System for faster quoting, tighter scheduling, and shop-floor answers, without sending your job data to the cloud.

AI for ERP

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A practical guide to on-prem AI agents for ERP: what they can safely automate, where human approval belongs, and how to design the guardrails.

Stuck on JobBOSS / JobBOSS2 (ECI)?

Talk to engineers who work inside JobBOSS / JobBOSS2 (ECI) every week, and who build private AI that answers these questions from your own ERP data.

How to Back Up the JobBOSS Database

Set up a reliable JobBOSS backup

A basic backup and verify script

Pre-upgrade snapshots and restore practice

How often and how long to keep them

Fill in

JobBOSS Classic Private AI Layer Blueprint Generator

Private AI Layer Blueprint: JobBOSS Classic

1. Context and use cases

2. Components

3. Security controls for Northfield Fabrication LLC

4. Rollout phases

5. Open questions for IT

Get this blueprint reviewed

Common pitfalls

How an ERP-grounded AI assistant handles this

Frequently asked questions

Related

How to Install JobBOSS: Server, Workstations and Drivers

JobBOSS 2 vs JobBOSS: Differences, Versions and How to Update

How to Close a Job in JobBOSS2

E2 Shop System Error 5093: Causes and How to Troubleshoot

E2 Shop System 7.2 (Shoptech): Versions, Manuals, Training, Support and Reporting

JobBOSS Public API: What Integration Options Exist for JobBOSS and JobBOSS2

AI for ECI JobBOSS2 and E2 Shop System

AI Agents for ERP, Running On-Prem

Stuck on JobBOSS / JobBOSS2 (ECI)?

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Free tools

ERP fixes and how-tos

Guides

AI on your ERP

Integrations

Software

Fill in

JobBOSS Classic Private AI Layer Blueprint Generator

Private AI Layer Blueprint: JobBOSS Classic

1. Context and use cases

2. Components

3. Security controls for Northfield Fabrication LLC

4. Rollout phases

5. Open questions for IT

Get this blueprint reviewed