# Online backups

Use online backups to back up a database while it is running.

You can perform online backups by using several types of backup procedures or by using operating systems commands with the freeze and unfreeze system procedures.

- Using the backup procedure to perform an online backup
  Use the SYSCS_UTIL.SYSCS_BACKUP_DATABASE procedure to perform an online backup of a database to a specified location.
- Using operating system commands with the freeze and unfreeze system procedures to perform an online backup

Parent topic: Backing up a database
Related concepts
Offline backups
When the log is in a non-default location
Backing up encrypted databases