We plan to do point-in-time recovery for certain databases. We plan to do Complete Database Backup every night and transaction log backup every two hours from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. I have following questions regarding the log backup.
1. There are two type of backup 'Append to media' or 'Overwrite'. If I choose 'Append' for log backup, is that mean I only need to restore database against last log backup file because all previous log backups have been accumulated there?
2. Can I automatically truncate log after the backup is done? How I can do it?
First off, I appreciate the time that those of you reading and responding to this request are offering. My quesiton is a theoretical and hopefully simple one, and yet I have been unable to find an answer to it on other searches or sources.
Here's the situation. I am working with SQL Server 2005 on a Windows Server 2003 machine. I have a series of databases, all of which are in Full recovery mode, using a backup device for the full database backups and a separate device for the log backups. The full backups are run every four days during non-business hours. The log backups are run every half hour.
Last week, one of my coworkers found that some rarely-used data was unavailable, and wanted to restore a database to a point in time where the data was available. He told me that point in time was some time back in November.
To accomplish this, I restored the database (in a separate database, as to not overwrite my production database) using the Point in Time Recovery option. I selected November from the "To a point in time" window (I should note that this window is always grey, never white like most active windows, it seems), and the full database backup and the subsequent logs all became available in the "Select the backup sets to restore" window.
I then tried a bevy of different options from the "Options" screen. However, every restore succeeds (ie: it doesn't error out), but seems to be bringing the database back to a current point in time. It's never actually going back to the point in time I specify.
My questions are as follows:
a) Is it possible to do a point in time recovery to a point in time BEFORE the last full database backup?
b) If so, what options would you recommend I use? (ie: "Overwrite the existing database", restore with recovery, etc etc).
I again appreciate any and all advice I receive, and I look forward to hearing from anyone and everyone on this topic. Thank you.
We have been testing point of time recovery using EM and found that this does not work. We enter date and time and do net get the logs restored. Even if we use the default date it does not work. In Query Analyser we have have managed to recover to a point in time. Anybody got any idea why EM does not work. We are using 2000 sp3
For complete database backup, I use the below syntax:
BACKUP DATABASE myDB TO DISK= @File1 WITH DESCRIPTION = @Desc
For transaction log backup, I use the below syntax: BACKUP LOG myDB TO DISK= @File1 WITH DESCRIPTION = @Desc
With this scenario, can I accomplish a point in time recovery? For example, if my database crashes on thursday night. How do i do complete recovery till that time?
Is is true that in SQL Server 7, a point in time recovery can not read the active logs? So that any point in time recovery has to be with in some time frame of the backups of the logs? Example: If you have a full backup at 5 am. Log backups every 2 hours. You need to recover at 3:55. You would have to go back to your full backup from 2 am and the transaction logs from 6, 8, 10, 12, and 2. You would lose any work done from 2-3:55pm?
If I perform a truncate table (non-logged operation) in my application, will this preclude me from being able to do a partial recovery (point-in-time) of my app. using the transaction logs?
I am reading about the RESTORE command to a point in time using logs, I would like to know the minimum point in time recovery for a backup image using T-SQL command before applying a log restore and what are the log ranges needed for the restore during restore.
Hello,I am using SQL Server 2000 with SP4. I have a database with two fullbackups at 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM and a transactional log backup at 5:30PM. Is there a possible way to do a point in time restore to 4:30 PM,that is between two full backups?When I try to use the transactional log backup that is taken at 5:30, Ican never specify a time before 5:00 PM. Is the transaction logtruncated at each full backup? If so, even if you take transactionallog backup every ten minutes, and full backups every once in a while,there will be some point in time which cannot be recovered to, namelythe time between a transactional log backup and a full backup. Take alog backup at 4:50, and full backup at 5:00 and you can never recoverto 4:55, can you?Any insight on the topic will be appreciated,Regards,M. Baris Caglar
We're considering purchasing an application,which stores some data in the filesystem, andsome data (meta data and links to files) inMS-SQL.We need to be able to create a backup whereinthe database and files are "in synch" (in other words,in a consistent state). We need to maintain the"referential integrity" between database and files.What I'm thinking of is something like this:1. stop the application server2. set database to readonly (flush updatesfrom cache to disk)3. backup database to disk files4. back up application files and backup files.(We could use "snapshot" capabilities of our diskhardware, so that the backup could run against thesnapshot; that would minimize downtime.)4. set database to read_write; restart app serverRecovery scenario would be:1. Stop application server.2. restore application files and database backup files3. restore database from disk backup4. restart application serverIs there a simpler way to get a "point in time" backupof application files and the database?
Is it possible to restore to a point in time without a preexisting full backup? The situation is this:
I have a table in the DB from which an unknown number of records were accidentally deleted. The table in questio has about 2 million records; the user ran a query to delete all records from the table by accident, and cancelled the query after about 3 seconds.
The DB recovery mode is full, so I should be able to do a point in time restore to go back to just before the deletion, but unfortunately, the DB has never been backed up, so I have no backup to work from.
The DB has not been used since the incident, and is otherwise operational, but I need to recover these records if at all possible. All the instructions I've seen for this involve restoring from a full backup first, then restoring the log backup second. Is there any way for me to accomplish the same task?
I don't see a "general discussion" thread and this is the closest i think.
I just have a general question: if my backup window is from 8am to 10am, and i do a restore within that backup window, what will happen? assuming we're talking only of a single database, ACME.
I'm comparing because with Oracle RMAN, it pukes when i do a restore while the backup is going on. it would complain of unable to find some archive logs.
Hi Guys, I wanted to know how to do a point in time recovery on sql server 2000. I wanted to go back in time when I restore the file. Can u also suggest any good book about it. Does BOL explains about it, I couldn't find it in BOL. Thanks in advance. Joe
When restoring a database where the data file(s) are located under a mount point, seems to be a problem with reporting free space available.
DB Size - Say 30GB (25 Data, 5 Log)
E: Drive 20GB with 15GB Free
Restoring database file to E:SQLMountPoint
- This points to separate disk with more than enough free space
SQL prevents the restore by stating there is not enough free space.
A long work around is assign a drive letter to the large disk Restore database using temp drive letter - F:SQLDATAMyDB_Data.mdf Update sysfiles - changing drive & path - E:SQLMountPointSQLDATAMyDB_Data.mdf Stop & restart database...
Is there a better way??? Wishlist - Restore only warns about free space - but allows continue...
I have two databases on a Production Server that I want to Log Ship to a Test Server. According to the sys.master files the physical File Location is on an E drive. Early attempts at Log Shipping these two files error'd out due to space issues on the E drive (one Log Shipped and then one err'd out). I was subsequently informed from the server group that they would prefer that I Log Ship these two database files over to the M Drive where more space is available. In fact, they modified the Server Properties / Database Settings / Database Default Locations (for Data and Log) to the larger M drive (I'm not really sure why they just don't increase the E drive space but there is proabably a good reason).
Okay, so now my problems have been solved. Easy enough. Now I deleted the successful Log Shipped database and started from scratch. However, as before, one db restored and one failed (due to space issues). Apparently, both db are pointing towards the E drive. How is that possible?
So here I am with one successful database and the normal sys databases pointing to the E drive. What is the best way of approaching this move to the larger and preferred M drive?
I make two full backups on Oct 1 and Oct 10. I want to restore the server to a state in Oct 5. So I just do as follows:
Perform a transaction log backup on the server on Oct 23. I have never backup transaction log in the past. Restore the server with Oct 1 full backup with NORECOVERY option.Try to restore to the point at Oct 5 12:00, with the transaction log.
But the restore fails and SQL Server said the transaction log does not contain the point. The point is too early. Why? Also my .LDF file is about 13G, but the transaction log backup is only 200MB. Why?
Assuming all windows servers belonging to the WSFC are on the same subnet, will the AG listener become a single failure point in system if all Application servers connect to the AG through the listener? If the answer is yes, what are the options to resolve this issue?
I have a database that is just over 1.5GB and the Full backup that is 13GB not sure how this is since we have compression on for full backups and my other full backups are much smaller than there respective databases...Now my full backup is taken every Sunday night and the differentials are taken every 6 hours after the full backup. Now I have been thrown into this DBA role with little to no experience just what I have picked up and read. So my understanding of backups are limited but what I think I understand is that we take a full backup and the differential only captures what changes in the database so my question is why is my database 1.5GB but my differential is 15.4GB? I have others database that are on the same instance and don't seem to have this problem. I also just noticed that we do not rebuild the index before a full backup like we do on other instances...
I can't "point in time restore" a test DB if I had only a Full DB Backup (with overwrite option).
Example 12:00 Fullbackup new (overwrite) 12:01 update any rows 12:02 update any rows 12:03 delete any rows 12:05 Transaction Log backup (overwrite) RESTORE: We can't set "point in Time" to 12:01 od 12:02 ???
Hi, I am pretty new to Analysis Services and I have come across a small problem to do with point in time balances, I guess that this is similar shiver72's post titled 'Date Range Problem'. I am not really after a solution as such (although that would be great :-), more interested in a pointer to some resource(s) which I can read up on myself.
Here is the scenario:
A student enrols into a course that has a start and finish date. This enrolment has a certain value based upon its length, the course type etc which means that each enrolment's 'value' can vary at any time between the start and finish dates.
For example a student may enrol in a full year basket weaving course with a value of 0.0500, they then enrol in a part year course titled 'Dimensional Modelling 101' with a value of 1.000
The client wishes to know at any point in time the 'value' of their enrolments. These values can vary due to a student starting or finishing their enrolment, withdrawing, having their enrolment suspended etc, etc
Now, in the Data Warehouse Toolkit it mentions point in time balances in the 'Financial Services' section but it uses SQL to prove the point which is no use to me because I am using MS Analysis Services to dynamically create the result.
As it says in the book its no use creating a row in the fact table to represent the value for each day that the enrolment is in effect because with 400,000 enrolments that works out to over 140 million rows. The alternative is to create one row for each occurence of the variation in the value of the enrolment and then the facts would be completely additive and useful.
I would be looking at using something similar to the following:
fact table ---------- fkdate value fksudent fkcourse <possibly some degenerate measure like the UID of the course enrolment held in the source system>
dimensions ---------- Student - and of course a whole heap of related dimensions like gender, age, ethnicity etc Course
For example given the above information the fact table would look like this:
(Student UID is 2005123, course UIDs are 1000 and 1001)
That way I can run a query at, say 15-JUN-2005 and sum the values and it will come out with the correct balance - and yes I know that this idea is straight out of the book :-)
OK, if you've read to this point then I take it that you are an extremely patient person and therefore will forgive my next question.
My question is this, my clients use simple tools like Excel pivot tables to gouge the information they want out of the warehouse, sure, I can write an MDX query to get a point in time balance (just as soon as I learn a bit more about it) but is there _any_ way/means/algorithm/trick/way to hold your head to one side, that I can use so that they can still just 'drag and drop' using the pivot table service as opposed to having to me having to create an MDX-based report for them ?
My database is in full recovery mode. When I have created some full backups of the database, I would like try to point in time restore. Unfortunately, this option is greyed out on the restore screen. What have I done wrong?
I'm having a real problem with this query at the moment... Basically I have to produce a query which will tell me the total number of people employed by the company at any given date and the total salary for all these people.
We have a people table and a career table. People(unique_identifier, known_as_and_surname, start_date, termination_date ...) Career(unique_identifier, parent_identifier, career_date, basic_pay ...) Relationship people.unique_identifier = career.parent_identifier
Employees can be identified like so
SELECT * FROM people WHERE start_date <= DateSelected AND (termination_date > DateSelected OR termination_date IS NULL)
Passing the selected date to the query is no trouble at all I am just having problems with the point in time side of this.
All and any help is greatly appreciated :) ~George
I know NOTHING about SQL. I have a SQL 2005 database. I'm trying to restore a point in time. I get the error:
RESTORE FAILED...AMT12-2-13.TRN... CANNOT FIND THE FILE SPECIFIED.
The file exists, and in the proper location. something is wrong with it. Is there any way to rebuild the entire TRN so that a point in time recovery will work?
I have a SQLServer 2005 database running in Windows 2003 Advanced Server environment. I want to restore from the backup to 2 days back point in time. I am using the Microsoft SQLServer Managment Studio. After I pick the file and specify the time I keep getting the error:
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlError: RESTORE cannot process database 'DBNAME' because it is in use by this session. It is recommended that the master database be used when performing this operation. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)
I did a server reboot to clear off any hanging session.Stil I am getting the message. Please suggest.
I have full backup of database at 13:00and another full backup at 17:00.I've made backup of transaction log at 17:05When I try to restore database to state at15:10 (point in time) , the dialogue in Enterprise Managersays that only time after 17:05 is valid.It seems to me that I've done something wrong at 17:05 while takingtrans. log backup.But, again, if I have full backups at 13:00 and 17:00 restoringdatabase to point in time at 15:10 should be possible ?!Any help is appreciated.Pagus
I have a SQLServer 2005 database. I want to restore from the backup to 2 days back point in time. I am using the Microsoft SQLServer Managment Studio. After I pick the file and specify the time I keep getting the error:
[System.Data.SqlClient.SqlError: RESTORE cannot process database 'DBNAME' because it is in use by this session. It is recommended that the master database be used when performing this operation. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)
I did a server reboot to clear off any hanging session.Stil I am getting the message. Please suggest.
If I want to return to a point in time for all my databases in SQL 2000 can I just copy all the files in the data directory to a safe place. And then when I want to go back to that point in time, just copy them all back?
