Restoring Microsoft SQL Server Transaction Logs
Creation Date: May 04, 2009
Revision Date: May 04, 2009
Product: DS‑Client (Windows)
See also
Summary
DS-Client’s special Microsoft SQL Server backup set type always performs a full database dump of the SQL Server, triggered by the DS-Client. After the first backup of a SQL database, the subsequent backups send incremental forever.
Currently, DS-Client does not support a separate backup of a database’s transaction log. If you want to back up the transaction log, you must back up the corresponding database with the Backup Transaction Log backup item option selected (Microsoft SQL 2005 and higher).
The value of separate transaction logs is that they can be restored as separate dump files (to alternate location).
NOTE: This method is better than restoring from a full DS-Client backup only if there is a very specific transaction point you want to restore to (between two full backup sessions).
Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise Manager / SQL Server Management Studio tools can use these transaction log dumps to roll forward a restored database to a specific point-in-time (covered by the transaction log dump).
To select a backed up transaction log from the Restore Wizard:
1. Open the Advanced Option screen and select Latest generation of all data.
2. Click Show Files.
If a transaction log was backed up, it will appear with the *.log extension.
3. Select it and continue with the Restore Wizard.
Details
The following steps are required if you want to restore transaction logs (and roll-up a database). Perform the following steps for each database that you need to restore to a specific point in time.
1. Restore the database as a dump file with the Windows DS-Client.
2. Using the physical file restored in step 1, restore it in the SQL Server using third party tools SQL Server Enterprise Manager / SQL Server Management Studio.
NOTE: Leave the DB in a non-operational state so that transaction logs can be rolled forward.
3. Restore additional transaction logs (since the backup restored in step 1) with the DS-Client as dump files.
4. Use SQL Server Enterprise Manager / SQL Server Management Studio to roll-up (in sequence) the required transaction logs up to the point in time you want.
5. Set database in operational mode.
You can now start using the DB.