database and log backup

We are using SQL 2K with sp4. I like someone to verify what I am doing is
correct. and there is no potential problem.
I am backing up my main database from one server (A) and restoring it to two
different servers (B and C). Here is the process.
#1. On server A, I do a full DB backup once a day and transaction log backup
once an hour. Before the next daily full backup occurs, the transaction log
file will be copied to a different folder and renamed to log2. Then the
tranaction log will be reinitialized.
#2. On server B, I do the database full restore and each transaction log
restore as soon as the backup is complete in server A. For example, if the
full backup happens at 2:00 am, the restore will occur as soon as it is done
.
The transaction backup is happening hourlty so the restore will happen
hourly.
#3. On server C, I will only do the restore of the full backup once. Then I
will restore the transaction log from the log2 that I copied in step 1
above.
I do a simple test, it seems to be working fine. My 'unclear' part is on
#3. The source database is having a full backup daily. In my step 3, once
the initial full restore is done, I only rely on the transaction log (log2)
to keep server C data up to date. There will be no full database restore o
n
server C unless it is necessary. I believe it is ok unless someone can tell
me there is a hole somewhere in my thinking.
Any help on this is very much appreciated.
WingmanLet me re-phrase your question, so you can see if I understand it:
On one of the restore server, you only want to restore the database backup o
nce, and then skip the
database backups performed on the production server and only restore the log
backups performed on
the production server?
Yes, that is fine. A database backup doesn't break the chain of log backups.
Just be careful with
setting the production database to simple recovery or explicitly empty the l
og without backing up,
as that will break the log backups. This will of course affect #2 as well as
#3, but since you are
periodically restoring the database backups on #2 it will self-repair within
24 hours.
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
Blog: http://solidqualitylearning.com/blogs/tibor/
"Wingman" <Wingman@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E3376109-4065-4705-AB71-A6EDA5104B64@.microsoft.com...
> We are using SQL 2K with sp4. I like someone to verify what I am doing is
> correct. and there is no potential problem.
> I am backing up my main database from one server (A) and restoring it to t
wo
> different servers (B and C). Here is the process.
> #1. On server A, I do a full DB backup once a day and transaction log back
up
> once an hour. Before the next daily full backup occurs, the transaction l
og
> file will be copied to a different folder and renamed to log2. Then the
> tranaction log will be reinitialized.
> #2. On server B, I do the database full restore and each transaction log
> restore as soon as the backup is complete in server A. For example, if th
e
> full backup happens at 2:00 am, the restore will occur as soon as it is do
ne.
> The transaction backup is happening hourlty so the restore will happen
> hourly.
> #3. On server C, I will only do the restore of the full backup once. Then
I
> will restore the transaction log from the log2 that I copied in step 1
> above.
> I do a simple test, it seems to be working fine. My 'unclear' part is on
> #3. The source database is having a full backup daily. In my step 3, onc
e
> the initial full restore is done, I only rely on the transaction log (log2
)
> to keep server C data up to date. There will be no full database restore
on
> server C unless it is necessary. I believe it is ok unless someone can te
ll
> me there is a hole somewhere in my thinking.
> Any help on this is very much appreciated.
> Wingman|||Yes, that is exactly what I want to ask. You read my mind. And your answer
is exactly what I thought it would be. Thank man!!
Wingman
"Wingman" wrote:

> We are using SQL 2K with sp4. I like someone to verify what I am doing is
> correct. and there is no potential problem.
> I am backing up my main database from one server (A) and restoring it to t
wo
> different servers (B and C). Here is the process.
> #1. On server A, I do a full DB backup once a day and transaction log back
up
> once an hour. Before the next daily full backup occurs, the transaction l
og
> file will be copied to a different folder and renamed to log2. Then the
> tranaction log will be reinitialized.
> #2. On server B, I do the database full restore and each transaction log
> restore as soon as the backup is complete in server A. For example, if th
e
> full backup happens at 2:00 am, the restore will occur as soon as it is do
ne.
> The transaction backup is happening hourlty so the restore will happen
> hourly.
> #3. On server C, I will only do the restore of the full backup once. Then
I
> will restore the transaction log from the log2 that I copied in step 1
> above.
> I do a simple test, it seems to be working fine. My 'unclear' part is on
> #3. The source database is having a full backup daily. In my step 3, onc
e
> the initial full restore is done, I only rely on the transaction log (log2
)
> to keep server C data up to date. There will be no full database restore
on
> server C unless it is necessary. I believe it is ok unless someone can te
ll
> me there is a hole somewhere in my thinking.
> Any help on this is very much appreciated.
> Wingman