Database recovery

  • Hi,
    I have a customer with the following problem.  He has a SQL 2000 server on a box with a RAID 5 controller.  For some reason, he has not been properly backing up his database, but he has been doing a system wide  file backup of his disk with Backup Exec.  His RAID controller recently failed.
    Having replaced the RAID controller and restored the backup, he now finds that the database seems to be corrupted.
    In the absence of any proper database backup, what is the recommended procedure for trying to recover a corrupt database?
     
    Any suggestions would be most welcome!
     
    James
     
  • Hi James,

    what do you mean with the database is corrupted ? What error does it give. Can you access the database ?

    If the status of the database is loading, check your settings in BackupExec. I know that older versions did leave the database in that status in order to restore Tlog backups. If you don't have these you need to restore the database with the option recover (BackupExec calls it a little different but I don't remember the exact words).

    If you get any other error please let us know, maybe there's still hope.

    M

    [font="Verdana"]Markus Bohse[/font]

  • Your customer has a big problem. He doesn't have a valid backup of the database. There are only two ways to backup a SQL Server database....

    1. Open files (SQL Server in use). Use the BACKUP DATABASE commands. (Backup Exec can do this by way of the Agent for SQL Server).

    2. Closed files (SQL Server shutdown/offline). Use operating system backup commands or 3rd Party software to backup files.

    Your client backed up the database files while they were still in an open/in use state. This corrupts the files and I haven't heard of any way to restore them.

    -SQLBill

  • Check if you can put the database in emergency mode and try to bcp out all the data.

Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

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