backup file growth and disk size-SQL 2005 database

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backup file growth and disk size-SQL 2005 database

SqlSavy

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November 23, 2012 at 9:29 am

#265153

Hi All,
We use Litespeed to backup our databases. One particular database grows 330MB/day there is enough space on the data and log drives but I think backup drive will run out of space very soon.
My PM is asking how quickly would the Backup drive will run out of space? a month or 2 months?
I've no idea how to calculate that?
Could you please help me with this ?
Thanks!

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learning_sql Right there with Babe Points: 727 More actions · Answer 1

Sqlsavy (11/23/2012)
Hi All,
We use Litespeed to backup our databases. One particular database grows 330MB/day there is enough space on the data and log drives but I think backup drive will run out of space very soon.
My PM is asking how quickly would the Backup drive will run out of space? a month or 2 months?
I've no idea how to calculate that?
Could you please help me with this ?
Thanks!

I know I am "learning_sql" but is your backup drive the spindle which houses your database (and or transaction log) backups - what backup strategy do you employ

-- how large is 1 of your backup sets today?

-- how much space have you got on your drive in total ?

-- how much is remaining?

Perry Whittle SSC Guru Points: 234013 More actions · Answer 2

Sqlsavy (11/23/2012)
Hi All,
We use Litespeed to backup our databases. One particular database grows 330MB/day there is enough space on the data and log drives but I think backup drive will run out of space very soon.
My PM is asking how quickly would the Backup drive will run out of space? a month or 2 months?
I've no idea how to calculate that?
Could you please help me with this ?
Thanks!

Its hard to say without knowing more

Which compression level are you using in Litespeed?

How large are the current backups?

Are you taking full backups daily or weekly?

Etc, etc

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004339 More actions · Answer 3

Sqlsavy (11/23/2012)
Hi All,
We use Litespeed to backup our databases. One particular database grows 330MB/day there is enough space on the data and log drives but I think backup drive will run out of space very soon.
My PM is asking how quickly would the Backup drive will run out of space? a month or 2 months?
I've no idea how to calculate that?
Could you please help me with this ?
Thanks!

Are you backing up this backup drive to tape? If so, figure out some sort of schedule where you keepa a couple of previous days worth of full-backups and the related point-in-time backups and delete those that have made it to tape.

If you're not doing such a backup to tape, then I recommend that you start. Having all of your backup information on a single device (set of drives) can be pretty bad especially if something happens to the entire building where your servers and backup devices are all taken out by fire, flooding, or what have you. You should also consider a DR or "Disaster Recover" plan of some sort. Typically and at the very least, your tape backups should be stored somewhere offsite ad quite a distance from the servers they were spawned from.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

SqlSavy SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4065 More actions · Answer 4

full backups taken every day (deleteing old backup file from previous night) .Backups are copied daily to tape.

db size is around 800GB and Litespeed backup file size is around 450 Gb.

learning_sql Right there with Babe Points: 727 More actions · Answer 5

Sqlsavy (11/26/2012)
full backups taken every day (deleteing old backup file from previous night) .Backups are copied daily to tape.
db size is around 800GB and Litespeed backup file size is around 450 Gb.

with 300mb growth a day - 30 x 330mb = 9.9GB (ish a month) to your database. Looks like your backup is about 60% of your database so the backup size will increase by about 6.6GB a month (very rough)

What is the size of your backup drives ?

I assume you already worked out the above.More experienced people will comment further...

SqlSavy SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4065 More actions · Answer 6

Thanks you all for your inputs with the help of SAN team reports I could calculate the disk space required.

Thanks again