Are DB snapshots read-only or can they be used for restoring a database fully?

  • A database snapshot is read only. Full stop, end of story.

    What you can do with a database snapshot is revert the source DB to it.

    OK, so if I detach or drop the source database, I will not be able to revert to the database snapshot....because I will not have a source db, at that point. Is that correct?

    Please answer one more question. After the database snapshot is taken, is there additional data transfer streaming between the source database and the snapshot? I read that snapshots can continue to grow as changes are made to the source db.

  • hxkresl (7/23/2010)


    OK, so if I detach or drop the source database, I will not be able to revert to the database snapshot....because I will not have a source db, at that point. Is that correct?

    I believe you would need to delete all snapshots before dropping or detaching the source DB

    Please answer one more question. After the database snapshot is taken, is there additional data transfer streaming between the source database and the snapshot? I read that snapshots can continue to grow as changes are made to the source db.

    No data is transferred when you create the snapshot. What happens is that as you make changes to the source DB after creating the snapshot, the old versions of the pages are at that point copied to the snapshot.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

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