Multi-Terabyte Database Backups over the Network
This document discusses the challenges of designing a robust backup and restore solutions for very large databases (VLDBs). Using a real-world example, it demonstrates how to make the best use of the backup and restore features of SQL Server 2008 to help create a fast and reliable backup and restore plan for VLDBs over the network ... Source : Thomas H. Grohser - Case Study - SQLCAT.com
Partial Database Availability
This white paper outlines the fundamental recovery and design patterns involving the use of filegroups in implementing partial database availability in SQL Server 2005. As databases become larger and larger, the infrastructure assets and technology that provide availability become more and more important ... Source : Microsoft.com - Technet Article
Best Practices for Recovering a Database to a Specific Recovery Point
This topic presents some best practices for restoring a database to a specific recovery point ... Source : Microsoft.com - Technet Article
Dedicated Network Adapter for Tape Archival
Joe argues the case for a dedicated backup NIC to reduce the network congestion for application users ... Source : Joe Chang - SQLBlog.com
Myths on Transaction Log inclusion in Full Backups
How much of a transaction log is included in a full backup ? All of it, none of it, or some? ... Source : Paul S. Randal - sqlskills.com - blog post
VLDB Backups: Filegroups vs Multiple DBs
Backing up very large databases (VLDBs) presents various administrative challenges. In this post, Paul addresses a suggestion that splitting a VLDB into multiple smaller databases can help, and why this idea is not recommended given the alternative, and much better approach; filegroups ... Source : Paul S. Randal - sqlSkills.com - Blog Post
COPY_ONLY Backups in SQL Server 2005
A new feature in SQL Server 2005 that allows an additional backup to be taken without effecting the existing sequence of backups ... Source : DatabaseJournal.com
Determining the amount of database change since the last full backup
Paul Randal provides the source code for custom proc to determine the percentage of a database that has changed since the last full backup. Amongst other things, this would be useful for determining the merits of a differential backup compared to running another full backup ... Source : Paul S. Randal - sqlSkills.com - Blog Post
Successful Backup Messages No More
In this blog post, Andrew talks about an undocumented trace flag that supresses the successful backup messages that are written to the event logs. A handy feature when you have regular backups of many databases ... Source : Andrew Kelly - SQLblog.com - Blog Post
Recovery/Rollback Taking Longer Than Expected
If a transaction that’s been running for 10 hours is killed, how long should it take to rollback? In this post, Bob Dorr explores such a question, adding some much needed clarity to this often misunderstood area ... Source : Bob Dorr - PSS SQL Server Engineers - Blog Post
When Bad Things Happen to Good Projects
This is not specific to SQL Server, but a great article none the less. It's a case study of a failed SAP implementation at HP and highlights the importance of contingency planning, part of which is obviously developing and testing a good backup/restore plan ... Source : CIO.com
Understanding Backups
The details surrounding what happens to the transaction log during a database backup is one of the most misunderstood SQL Server topics. In this post, Kimberly does a good job of explaining some of the finer details ... Source : Kimberly L. Tripp - SQLSkills.com - Blog Post
Debunking Backup Myths
Myth 1: A full database backup only contains the transaction log from the start of the backup to the end of the backup - Myth 2: It's possible to do a STOPAT with only a full database backup ... Source : Paul Randal - SQL Server Storage Engine - Blog Post
sys.dm_db_persisted_sku_features
There are lots of Enterprise Only features (compression, TDE, CDC etc ..) in SQL Server 2008, and restoring a database containing one of these to a standard (or lower) version will result in an error *at the end* of the restore process. As Paul points out in this post, rather than wait to the end of the restore to find this out, the new sys.dm_db_persisted_sku_features can be used to determine this before the restore starts, saving lots of time, particularly for large databases ... Source : Paul Randal - SQLSkills.com - Blog Post
Minimal logging in SQL Server 2008
It was in, then it was out, and now it's back in again. Check out this post regarding the new Minimal Logging feature in SQL Server 2008 ... Source : SQL Server Storage Engine - Blog Post