Backup copy_only on 2000

13 Mar 2007 9:39 AM

Thomas Turn Jensen

Hi,

We are currently doing weekly full backups and hourly log backups, all to
tape.

However, sometimes we need to move production data to a test system, and
would like to do this using a full backup.

However if we do a full backup, this of course invalidates future
transaction log backups, as they will be based on the off-schedule full
backup.

Is there a way to instruct SQL Server 2000 to create the full backup without
affecting the currently used backup strategy, so future transaction log
backups will still be valid even if I get rid of the temporary full backup
made manually?

Ie:
Full A
Log A
Log B
Log C
Full B
Log D
Log E.

Is there any way to make the Full Backup B, so that a Point in time recovery
can make use of the sequeuce Full A, Log A, Log B, Log C, Log D, Log E?

From what I understand, SQL Server 2005 supports this using the WITH
COPY_ONLY, but this is not available on 2000.

Thanks in advance
Thomas Turn Jensen

13 Mar 2007 10:05 AM

Tibor Karaszi

> However if we do a full backup, this of course invalidates future
> transaction log backups, as they will be based on the off-schedule full
> backup.

No, a full backup does not empty the log, i.e., does not break the log backup chain sequence. So, it
is perfectly possible to skip a full backup during restore, as long as you have an unbroken chain of
log backups since the db backup that you *do* restore.

> From what I understand, SQL Server 2005 supports this using the WITH
> COPY_ONLY, but this is not available on 2000.

COPY_ONLY is not needed for above scenario. Below are the two scenarios where COPY_ONLY is needed:

1. You do diff backups. Somebody want to have a copy of your db through a full backup. If that isn't
taken with COPY_ONLY, the following diff backups would be based on that db backup.

2. You do log backups. Somebody want an up-to-date copy of the database, and do this though a log
backup, without breaking the chain of log backups.

--
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://sqlblog.com/blogs/tibor_karaszi

Show quoteHide quote

"Thomas Turn Jensen" <ThomasTurnJen***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F1BE0189-A225-44C3-8537-118214E131AF@microsoft.com...
> Hi,
>
> We are currently doing weekly full backups and hourly log backups, all to
> tape.
>
> However, sometimes we need to move production data to a test system, and
> would like to do this using a full backup.
>
> However if we do a full backup, this of course invalidates future
> transaction log backups, as they will be based on the off-schedule full
> backup.
>
> Is there a way to instruct SQL Server 2000 to create the full backup without
> affecting the currently used backup strategy, so future transaction log
> backups will still be valid even if I get rid of the temporary full backup
> made manually?
>
> Ie:
> Full A
> Log A
> Log B
> Log C
> Full B
> Log D
> Log E.
>
> Is there any way to make the Full Backup B, so that a Point in time recovery
> can make use of the sequeuce Full A, Log A, Log B, Log C, Log D, Log E?
>
> From what I understand, SQL Server 2005 supports this using the WITH
> COPY_ONLY, but this is not available on 2000.
>
> Thanks in advance
> Thomas Turn Jensen

13 Mar 2007 11:59 AM

Thomas Turn Jensen

Very interesting information, thanks.

The two local vendors we have talked to has told us not to do the
intermittent full backups because they would invalidate the transaction logs.

Thank you very much.

Show quoteHide quote

"Tibor Karaszi" wrote:

> > However if we do a full backup, this of course invalidates future
> > transaction log backups, as they will be based on the off-schedule full
> > backup.
>
> No, a full backup does not empty the log, i.e., does not break the log backup chain sequence. So, it
> is perfectly possible to skip a full backup during restore, as long as you have an unbroken chain of
> log backups since the db backup that you *do* restore.
>
>
> > From what I understand, SQL Server 2005 supports this using the WITH
> > COPY_ONLY, but this is not available on 2000.
>
> COPY_ONLY is not needed for above scenario. Below are the two scenarios where COPY_ONLY is needed:
>
> 1. You do diff backups. Somebody want to have a copy of your db through a full backup. If that isn't
> taken with COPY_ONLY, the following diff backups would be based on that db backup.
>
> 2. You do log backups. Somebody want an up-to-date copy of the database, and do this though a log
> backup, without breaking the chain of log backups.
> --
> Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
> http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
> http://sqlblog.com/blogs/tibor_karaszi
>
>
> "Thomas Turn Jensen" <ThomasTurnJen***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:F1BE0189-A225-44C3-8537-118214E131AF@microsoft.com...
> > Hi,
> >
> > We are currently doing weekly full backups and hourly log backups, all to
> > tape.
> >
> > However, sometimes we need to move production data to a test system, and
> > would like to do this using a full backup.
> >
> > However if we do a full backup, this of course invalidates future
> > transaction log backups, as they will be based on the off-schedule full
> > backup.
> >
> > Is there a way to instruct SQL Server 2000 to create the full backup without
> > affecting the currently used backup strategy, so future transaction log
> > backups will still be valid even if I get rid of the temporary full backup
> > made manually?
> >
> > Ie:
> > Full A
> > Log A
> > Log B
> > Log C
> > Full B
> > Log D
> > Log E.
> >
> > Is there any way to make the Full Backup B, so that a Point in time recovery
> > can make use of the sequeuce Full A, Log A, Log B, Log C, Log D, Log E?
> >
> > From what I understand, SQL Server 2005 supports this using the WITH
> > COPY_ONLY, but this is not available on 2000.
> >
> > Thanks in advance
> > Thomas Turn Jensen
>
>

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