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AskSQLTeam
Ask SQLTeam Question
0 Posts |
 Posted - 2002-01-04 : 09:27:49
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| Thomas Drumm writes "Hello,I'm using automated scripts to backup a database on a SQL Server 2000 and upload it to our backup server. However, we've been having a size problem, the backup file seemed to grow incessantly.This is the T-SQL command:BACKUP DATABASE [dbBM] TO DISK = N'C:\DBBackup\dbBM Arnold' WITH NOINIT, NOUNLOAD, NAME = N'dbBM backup', NOSKIP, STATS = 10, NOFORMAT We tried emptying the log with BACKUP LOG dbBM WITH NO_LOG (which worked for about 24 hours, then the file was backup to huge size again).Now, we've replaced NOINIT with INIT and hurray! our backup files are of normal size!However, we would like to confirm that we won't get a problem with our data or if something's not being backed up. We're keeping all the individual backups on our backup server, så we just need to be sure.Thanks in advance,Thomas" |
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izaltsman
A custom title
1139 Posts |
Posted - 2002-01-04 : 10:22:45
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| When you are using NOINIT option, you are appending to whatever data was already stored on the backup device. In other words, if you took a backup yesterday, and another one today to the same backup device using the NOINIT option, you now have 2 days worth of backups sitting in the device file. If you had to restore the database tomorrow, you would be able to restore it to the state it was in yesterday or today using this backup device file. Using INIT option, overwrites the older contents of the device file. If you took a backup yesterday, and another one today to the same backup device, but this time used INIT option, you will lose the contents of yesterday's backup and only keep today's. So if you had to restore from this device, you'd only be able to go back to the today's state. Personally, I like to keep each day's backups on separate devices to ensure manageable filesize (but I do keep files from previous days, just in case I need to return my data to a prior state). Edited by - izaltsman on 01/04/2002 10:29:18 |
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drumm
Starting Member
14 Posts |
Posted - 2002-01-07 : 10:02:05
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| izaltsman - thanks for the answer, I'll put my head on the block and be sure to put my daily backups of the file away ;-)Thomas |
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BACKUP DATABASE command: Do I risk losing data when I specify INIT?