diff --git a/backend/app/schemas.py b/backend/app/schemas.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81f9c6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/app/schemas.py
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
+from typing import Optional, List, Dict, Any
+from datetime import datetime
+
+# Source schemas
+class SourceBase(BaseModel):
+    name: str
+    type: str = Field(..., pattern="^(local|ssh|database)$")
+    config: Dict[str, Any] = Field(default_factory=dict)
+
+class SourceCreate(SourceBase):
+    pass
+
+class SourceUpdate(BaseModel):
+    name: Optional[str] = None
+    config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None
+
+class Source(SourceBase):
+    id: int
+    created_at: datetime
+    updated_at: datetime
+    
+    class Config:
+        from_attributes = True
+
+# Job schemas
+class JobBase(BaseModel):
+    name: str
+    source_id: int
+    strategy: str = Field(default="full", pattern="^(full|incremental)$")
+    destination_path: str
+    exclude_patterns: List[str] = Field(default_factory=list)
+    enabled: bool = True
+
+class JobCreate(JobBase):
+    pass
+
+class JobUpdate(BaseModel):
+    name: Optional[str] = None
+    strategy: Optional[str] = None
+    destination_path: Optional[str] = None
+    exclude_patterns: Optional[List[str]] = None
+    enabled: Optional[bool] = None
+
+class Job(JobBase):
+    id: int
+    created_at: datetime
+    updated_at: datetime
+    
+    class Config:
+        from_attributes = True
+
+# Schedule schemas
+class ScheduleBase(BaseModel):
+    job_id: int
+    cron_expression: str
+    enabled: bool = True
+
+class ScheduleCreate(ScheduleBase):
+    pass
+
+class ScheduleUpdate(BaseModel):
+    cron_expression: Optional[str] = None
+    enabled: Optional[bool] = None
+
+class Schedule(ScheduleBase):
+    id: int
+    created_at: datetime
+    
+    class Config:
+        from_attributes = True
+
+# Execution schemas
+class JobExecutionBase(BaseModel):
+    job_id: int
+    status: str = Field(default="pending", pattern="^(pending|running|success|failed|cancelled)$")
+    triggered_by: str = Field(..., pattern="^(manual|schedule)$")
+
+class JobExecutionCreate(JobExecutionBase):
+    pass
+
+class JobExecution(JobExecutionBase):
+    id: int
+    started_at: Optional[datetime] = None
+    completed_at: Optional[datetime] = None
+    bytes_processed: int = 0
+    bytes_backed_up: int = 0
+    error_message: Optional[str] = None
+    
+    class Config:
+        from_attributes = True
+
+# Backup schemas
+class BackupBase(BaseModel):
+    execution_id: int
+    storage_path: str
+    size_bytes: int = 0
+    checksum: Optional[str] = None
+    type: str = Field(..., pattern="^(full|incremental)$")
+    parent_backup_id: Optional[int] = None
+
+class BackupCreate(BackupBase):
+    pass
+
+class Backup(BackupBase):
+    id: int
+    created_at: datetime
+    
+    class Config:
+        from_attributes = True
+
+# Settings schemas
+class SettingBase(BaseModel):
+    key: str
+    value: Optional[str] = None
+
+class SettingCreate(SettingBase):
+    pass
+
+class SettingUpdate(BaseModel):
+    value: Optional[str] = None
+
+class Setting(SettingBase):
+    updated_at: datetime
+    
+    class Config:
+        from_attributes = True
+
+# Dashboard schemas
+class DashboardStats(BaseModel):
+    active_jobs: int
+    total_backups: int
+    storage_used_bytes: int
+    recent_failures: int
+    recent_executions: List[JobExecution]