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Can a complete database restore be recovered at any time?
Under the full recovery model, a complete database restore can usually be recovered to a point of time, a marked transaction, or an LSN within a log backup. However, under the bulk-logged recovery model, if the log backup contains bulk-logged changes, point-in-time recovery is not possible.
How to restore the most recent SQL Server Backup?
Restore the most recent full database backup without recovering the database (RESTORE DATABASE database_name FROM backup_device WITH NORECOVERY). If differential backups exist, restore the most recent one without recovering the database (RESTORE DATABASE database_name FROM differential_backup_device WITH NORECOVERY).
How to restore database after a differential backup?
Restoring the most recent differential backup reduces the number of log backups that must be restored. Starting with the first transaction log backup that was created after the backup you just restored, restore the logs in sequence with NORECOVERY. Recover the database (RESTORE DATABASE database_name WITH RECOVERY).
What happens to the database after a failure?
After a failure occurs (1), a tail-log backup is created (2). Next, the database is restored to the point of the failure. This involves restoring a database backup, a subsequent differential backup, and every log backup taken after the differential backup, including the tail-log backup.
Where to find restore information in MSDB database?
The restore information is readily available inside the msdb database, making the solution as easy as a few lines of T-SQL. When I ask people about how they verify their database restores I often get back a response that includes something similar to the following code:
What happens when you do a SQL Server restore?
SQL Server is basically doing a complete restore from the last full backup, and all the log backups up to the point to which you want to get to. Aside from the time it takes to perform the restore, another disadvantage is that the database is not accessible during this period.