backup application log

Question

backup application log

timscronin

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April 24, 2008 at 12:48 pm

#121331

I have a maint plan that backs up my trans log that fails. In view history or the sql error log it tells me to lack at the backup application log file. Can't find it and BOL doesn't seem to address it.

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Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736150 More actions · Answer 1

The application log is typically the windows event log. You can configure the maint plan to write out a log for each task, such as the backup task.

andymay-496937 SSC Eights! Points: 939 More actions · Answer 2

Hi Steve

Thats great but the error message I get is in the event viewer application log, does that mean there is no more detailed message?

Andy

Leo.Miller SSChampion Points: 13051 More actions · Answer 3

Have you looked in the SQL Server error log?

Maint plans are notorious for not logging things nicely unless you actual add logging to the plan. Something I would always do. Then you also need to add a cleanup of the log files so you don't fill the disk.

Leo

There are 10 types of people in the world.

Those who understand binary and and those that don't

Leo
Nothing in life is ever so complicated that with a little work it can't be made more complicated.

Jeffrey Williams SSC Guru Points: 90303 More actions · Answer 4

Leo.Miller (5/26/2010)
Have you looked in the SQL Server error log?
Maint plans are notorious for not logging things nicely unless you actual add logging to the plan. Something I would always do. Then you also need to add a cleanup of the log files so you don't fill the disk.
Leo
There are 10 types of people in the world.
Those who understand binary and and those that don't

I don't find this true at all - I find that maintenance plans log their activity better than agent jobs. The problem is that everyone expects the activity to be logged in the agent job.

You have to check the history for the maintenance plan itself - not the job history.

BTW - turning on logging for the maintenance plan doesn't provide any real useful information that I have found.

Jeffrey Williams
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

― Charles R. Swindoll

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Managing Transaction Logs

Leo.Miller SSChampion Points: 13051 More actions · Answer 5

I much prefer setting the plan to write to a log file and use that than the plan history.

Different courses for differeent horses.

Leo

Leo
Nothing in life is ever so complicated that with a little work it can't be made more complicated.

svwilliams01 SSC Enthusiast Points: 140 More actions · Answer 6

Check the database and make sure that it is in FULL Recovery mode which is required to back up transactions logs. Secondly, check to make sure you aren't trying to backup system database along with the transactional databases as they are unable to be backed up this way so they should be in SIMPLE Recovery mode.