Can mirroring be set up with a copy only backup?

Question

Can mirroring be set up with a copy only backup?

winston Smith

SSCoach

Points: 19500
More actions
June 20, 2013 at 2:37 am

#279299

I have to initialize mirroring on a large database.
Due to red tape/policies etc, if i take an offschedule full backup, i have to jump through hoops to get ensure it gets stored wtih the rest of the backups.
Becuase of this a copy only full backup woudl be preferable.
Can mirroring be initialized with a copy only backup? I would expirement but copying the database takes 2+ hours so i dont have the time available for a failed test.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply

Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 1

You don't need an off-schedule backup. Use your latest normal, scheduled backup and all log backups since that full backup.

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

winston Smith SSCoach Points: 19500 More actions · Answer 2

the latest scheduled backup is 6 days old meaning there will be a LOT of log files to restore. Coupled with the further red tape to get access to the backups, it would be quicker to just take a new backup.

If i have to il log the ticket to get acces to the backups, but id rather avoid it.

Perry Whittle SSC Guru Points: 234013 More actions · Answer 3

you could take a diff and use the 6 day old full with logs

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

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

Abu Dina SSChampion Points: 14155 More actions · Answer 4

Can mirroring be initialized with a copy only backup?

From MSDN (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms191495.aspx)

Restoring a copy-only full backup is the same as restoring any other full backup.

Basically you use it so that you don't break the backup chain so go for it!

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

It takes a minimal capacity for rational thought to see that the corporate 'free press' is a structurally irrational and biased, and extremely violent, system of elite propaganda.
David Edwards - Media lens[/url]

Society has varying and conflicting interests; what is called objectivity is the disguise of one of these interests - that of neutrality. But neutrality is a fiction in an unneutral world. There are victims, there are executioners, and there are bystanders... and the 'objectivity' of the bystander calls for inaction while other heads fall.
Howard Zinn

Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 5

Abu Dina (6/20/2013)
Basically you use it so that you don't break the backup chain so go for it!

You mean 'don't reset the differential base', because that's all that a normal full backup does.

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

winston Smith SSCoach Points: 19500 More actions · Answer 6

Ok, I got it sorted, escalation to management made a lot of stuff easier!

Regarding the question "can you initialize mirroring with a copy only backup", there has been no answer in the post yet to say if this is possible. It would be good to know, for future use.

Thanks!

Edit: Didn't see the post above this one, thanks for the help folks.

Abu Dina SSChampion Points: 14155 More actions · Answer 7

GilaMonster (6/20/2013)
Abu Dina (6/20/2013)
Basically you use it so that you don't break the backup chain so go for it!
You mean 'don't reset the differential base', because that's all that a normal full backup does.

Yes... Sorry I should have been clearer. (I blame Mr Fritchey :-P) https://www.simple-talk.com/sql/database-administration/7-preventable-backup-errors/%5B/url%5D

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

It takes a minimal capacity for rational thought to see that the corporate 'free press' is a structurally irrational and biased, and extremely violent, system of elite propaganda.
David Edwards - Media lens[/url]

Society has varying and conflicting interests; what is called objectivity is the disguise of one of these interests - that of neutrality. But neutrality is a fiction in an unneutral world. There are victims, there are executioners, and there are bystanders... and the 'objectivity' of the bystander calls for inaction while other heads fall.
Howard Zinn