Although you can manually back up Data Warehouse by using the Backup/Restore control at any time, it is best practice to schedule automatic backups, defining when and how often to back up the Data Warehouse database and Cognos content store. Backups offer protection from data loss, allowing you to restore the Data Warehouse database if needed. You also use a backup when migrating to a new Data Warehouse server or when upgrading to a new Data Warehouse version.
Scheduling backups during times when the Data Warehouse server is not busy improves backup performance and reduces the impact on users.