SQL Backup 8: Restore after FULL COPY-ONLY backup
marekprz
Posts: 11 Bronze 1
Hello,
I'd like to report an apparent issue with the handling of COPY-ONLY FULL backups. This is the same issue that was reported in an earlier SQL Backup version: viewtopic.php?f=159&t=78668. There is some nice detail in that thread.
I do regular WEEKLY FULL backups and DAILY DIFFERENTIAL backups. But for my MONTHLY backups, I choose the COPY-ONLY backup option so that MONTHLY backups are left out of the backup chain. Similarly if I want to do an ad hoc backup--which I later may delete--I would choose COPY-ONLY, so that it does not become part of the backup chain.
When I do a restore of a DIFFERENTIAL backup file using the "Select from backup history" option, I select my differential backup file. In the next step, the required files are populated automatically. The recent COPY-ONLY backup file should NOT appear in that list: it is NOT part of the backup chain. In fact, if I try to do a restore using a COPY-ONLY backup file, the restore fails. (There may be times when the COPY-ONLY backup file should appear in the list, but this isn't one of them. See the earlier thread. )
As mentioned in the earlier thread, there is a work-around, but it's not satisfactory. One could use the "Browse for backup files to restore" option on the first step of the restore process to choose the required files, but this process is more tedious and error prone. The very nice thing about the "Select from backup history" option is that the required files are found automatically which makes the restore much easier, with the exception of this COPY-ONLY problem.
To sum up, I believe that the current behavior is not correct as it basically renders the COPY-ONLY option much less useful.
This may or may not be an issue with COPY-ONLY Transaction Log Backups. I haven't investigated this.
I'm using Redgate SQL Backup 8.0.1.405 with MS SQL Server 2008 R2.
Thanks,
Marek
I'd like to report an apparent issue with the handling of COPY-ONLY FULL backups. This is the same issue that was reported in an earlier SQL Backup version: viewtopic.php?f=159&t=78668. There is some nice detail in that thread.
I do regular WEEKLY FULL backups and DAILY DIFFERENTIAL backups. But for my MONTHLY backups, I choose the COPY-ONLY backup option so that MONTHLY backups are left out of the backup chain. Similarly if I want to do an ad hoc backup--which I later may delete--I would choose COPY-ONLY, so that it does not become part of the backup chain.
When I do a restore of a DIFFERENTIAL backup file using the "Select from backup history" option, I select my differential backup file. In the next step, the required files are populated automatically. The recent COPY-ONLY backup file should NOT appear in that list: it is NOT part of the backup chain. In fact, if I try to do a restore using a COPY-ONLY backup file, the restore fails. (There may be times when the COPY-ONLY backup file should appear in the list, but this isn't one of them. See the earlier thread. )
As mentioned in the earlier thread, there is a work-around, but it's not satisfactory. One could use the "Browse for backup files to restore" option on the first step of the restore process to choose the required files, but this process is more tedious and error prone. The very nice thing about the "Select from backup history" option is that the required files are found automatically which makes the restore much easier, with the exception of this COPY-ONLY problem.
To sum up, I believe that the current behavior is not correct as it basically renders the COPY-ONLY option much less useful.
This may or may not be an issue with COPY-ONLY Transaction Log Backups. I haven't investigated this.
I'm using Redgate SQL Backup 8.0.1.405 with MS SQL Server 2008 R2.
Thanks,
Marek
Comments
Thanks for posting on the Redgate forums.
I have passed this information onto the developers and will discuss this with them to see if we can produce a fix for this. I will provide some further information when I get it. The internal reference for this bug is SB-5748.
Dan Bainbridge
Product Support Engineer | Redgate Software