Starting with SQL Server 2016 SP1, all editions now support the database snapshot feature.
A database snapshot provides a static, read-only image of a SQL Server database at a specific point in time. This snapshot remains transactionally consistent with the source database as it existed at the moment the snapshot was taken. Note that the snapshot must reside on the same server instance as its original database.
CREATE DATABASE <database_snapshot_name>
ON (
NAME = <logical_file_name>, FILENAME = '<os_file_name>'
) [ ,...n ]
AS SNAPSHOT OF <source_database_name>
Note: The .ss file extension shown in the examples is user-defined and not mandatory.
CREATE DATABASE AdventureWorks_dbss1800 ON
( NAME = AdventureWorks, FILENAME =
'C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Data\AdventureWorks_data_1800.ss' )
AS SNAPSHOT OF AdventureWorks;
GO
Restoring the Original Database Using a Snapshot
RESTORE DATABASE <database_name>
FROM DATABASE_SNAPSHOT = <database_snapshot_name>
Further Reading:
