Please start any new threads on our new site at https://forums.sqlteam.com. We've got lots of great SQL Server experts to answer whatever question you can come up with.

 All Forums
 SQL Server 2000 Forums
 SQL Server Administration (2000)
 Backups to a compressed NTFS folder

Author  Topic 

Page47
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2878 Posts

Posted - 2004-05-07 : 07:24:06
I'm not sure if this is a question about NTFS, the database maintenance plan, or what ...

SQL 7(7.00.1063) ... WinNT SP6 ... 44.9 GB logical drive an a SAN.

I have nothing on my drive except a compressed folder (compress contents) with a backup of my database that is 48.8 GB (16.6 GB "Size on disk").

My DB Maint Plan is set to retain one day's worth of backups, so it wants to create a second backup in that folder and then delete the older one.

Now I would think that 16.6 GB + 16.6 GB should equal 33.2 GB which should be less than 44.9 GB. But the Maint Plan fails everyday due to insufficient space.

Now, it can't be that the backup is written out uncompressed and then once it is complete it compresses since it would never fit the first backup on the disk uncompressed.

So what is the deal here?

Jay White
{0}

tonyshukal
Starting Member

7 Posts

Posted - 2004-05-08 : 06:13:32
I think you really need more space.
This is how SQL Agent will work in your case:
...Starting Job x Backup DB on Drive E:
...Check DB Size GOT 48.8GB
...Compute Disk Space Reqiured 48.8GB (Since compression is NTFS windows machnism. Windows will return 44.9 - 16.6 = 28.3 GB

Insufficient Disk Space???


Does it make any sense?

Also SQL Agent first takes new backup then deletes the old one at the end of the job.
Go to Top of Page

MuadDBA

628 Posts

Posted - 2004-05-10 : 11:10:07
Actually that's not how the backup works at all...at least not on any of the ones I have ever done...it will happily get 50, 60, 70% done with a backup and then tell you it ran out of space. It doesn't check for space ahead of time. Try it, you'll see.
Go to Top of Page

Page47
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2878 Posts

Posted - 2004-05-10 : 11:10:53
Turns out that unchecking the "Verify Backup" option allows me to get my backups on the disk without issue ... go figure ...

Jay White
{0}
Go to Top of Page
   

- Advertisement -