Incomplete backup failure info in log file viewer

  • Hello gents

    The situation is that I am using an SSIS package made through maintenance plan to backup several databases in a roll on a daily basis. Yesterday the job of "backup plan" generated with the creation of SSIS package failed. And when I open the job history in the "log file viewer", the message is pretty long showing many databases were actually backed up successfully. But at the end of the job history log, the text says "Executing query "BACKUP DATAB... The package execution fa... The step failed.,01:37:50,0,0,,,,0". So basically, the name of the database that failed to be backed up is unknown. Is there another way besides seeing into the "job history" to locate which databases failed to be backed up?

    Thanks very much!

    Bazinga!

  • Go to the job step, the advanced options. There's an option there to log to a file. Use that, it'll log the full error message.

    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
  • Thanks Gail. So basically, I can't get yesterday's full backup error message anyway then?

    Bazinga!

  • Not that I'm aware of.

    If you're just interested in which were backed up and which were not, query the backup history tables in MSDB. There's a few of them, backupset and related ones. Can't recall offhand the other names

    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
  • information on backups is also written to the SQL errorlog, so you could check in there.

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

  • Instead of looking at the job history - try reviewing the maintenance plan history instead. You might find additional information there.

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

    ― Charles R. Swindoll

    How to post questions to get better answers faster
    Managing Transaction Logs

  • Jeffrey Williams (9/1/2009)


    Instead of looking at the job history - try reviewing the maintenance plan history instead. You might find additional information there.

    I just had a look at the maintenance plan history, yes, it has the info which the backup failed. Thanks very much.

    But I couldn't find any backup failure info in the error log or did I miss something?

    For now, I know the failure reason is due to disk space shortage and which db need to be backed up again.

    Bazinga!

  • xnleiden (9/2/2009)


    Jeffrey Williams (9/1/2009)


    Instead of looking at the job history - try reviewing the maintenance plan history instead. You might find additional information there.

    I just had a look at the maintenance plan history, yes, it has the info which the backup failed. Thanks very much.

    But I couldn't find any backup failure info in the error log or did I miss something?

    For now, I know the failure reason is due to disk space shortage and which db need to be backed up again.

    If the backup never started there will be nothing in the errorlog, if it started and failed with a lack of space there should be an error 112 reported in the errorlog, search for that.

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

  • george sibbald (9/2/2009)


    xnleiden (9/2/2009)


    Jeffrey Williams (9/1/2009)


    Instead of looking at the job history - try reviewing the maintenance plan history instead. You might find additional information there.

    I just had a look at the maintenance plan history, yes, it has the info which the backup failed. Thanks very much.

    But I couldn't find any backup failure info in the error log or did I miss something?

    For now, I know the failure reason is due to disk space shortage and which db need to be backed up again.

    If the backup never started there will be nothing in the errorlog, if it started and failed with a lack of space there should be an error 112 reported in the errorlog, search for that.

    Yes, you are right, I just did a double-check, this time in the "SQL Server" logs instead of "SQL Server Agent" logs, the 112 error message was indeed recorded. Thanks Jeffrey again for sharing your valuable experience.

    Bazinga!

  • You are welcome - and it is good to hear that you are able to identify the problem.

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

    ― Charles R. Swindoll

    How to post questions to get better answers faster
    Managing Transaction Logs

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

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