Recovering a database from backup is a fundamental database administrator function. In the past, when I started a new job, the first thing I did was check that I could restore every database I was responsible for. Notice I did not say I “checked backups.” Backups are a necessary but not sufficient element to successfully restore a database. In addition to the backups, you need a place to restore the database and some command or tool to initiate the restore. In some cases, you may need encryption keys to unlock the backup or the restored database.