You have backed up at appropriate times and with different recovery
modes. Then the unfortunate takes place and the system goes down. There
isn't a feeling of panic because you know everything has been backed up.
However, there are a few moments of concern when you aren't sure which
SQL backup file is which. There isn't a lot of time to figure this out
because time is limited - you are racing the clock!
There are times when you can figure out what the SQL backup file is from the file name. It might be possible to figure out whether it is a differential backup, full backup, or transaction log backup, but it can be difficult to truly know what is inside the file. Thankfully, a SQL server includes several other commands that help you know what is inside each of the database backup files. This means using options such as FILELISTONLY, HEADERONLY, and LABELONLY.
Along with the ability to restore functionality and a normal backup, there are several other restore options that help you know what is inside a backup file. These commands should be known, especially if there have been multiple backups created from the same physical files. Another problem is when there are other database backups created from another system and you don't know what is in the files.
The commands that help you with this is RESTORE HEADERONLY, which will give you a list of backup header information from a backup device. RESTORE FILELISTONLY will give you all of the log files and data listed in the backup. RESTORE LABELONLY shows data on the backup media.
There will be times when more data than you want will be shown and received from these commands. However, look for clues that provide you with the data you need.
Robert Schumann is a writer and researcher on products for households such as SQL Backup. Save time and money by getting a FREE in-depth review of this product and many others including discounts and best prices at this website: storagecraft.eu
