Delete old backup files
This is one example of how you can make backups with a date stamp for the file name. You can then periodically remove the files that are older than a specified date by simply placing a few lines of code in a job step and calling the supplied sp and passing the date from which to delete. This script can easily be modified to suite each individuals needs and they can then get away from the problems associated with the maintenance plan.
---------- Do a backup and create a separate file for each day of the week ----------------
DECLARE @DBName NVARCHAR(50), @Device NVARCHAR(100), @Name NVARCHAR(100)
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#DBs') IS NOT NULL
DROP TABLE #DBs
CREATE TABLE #DBs ([name] VARCHAR(50),[db_size] VARCHAR(20),
[Owner] VARCHAR(20),[DBID] INT, [Created] VARCHAR(14),
[Status] VARCHAR(1000), [Compatibility_Level] INT)
INSERT INTO #DBs EXEC sp_helpdb
DECLARE cur_DBs CURSOR STATIC LOCAL
FOR SELECT [Name]
FROM #DBs
WHERE [DBID] IN (5,6)
OPEN cur_DBs
FETCH NEXT FROM cur_DBs INTO @DBName
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
SET @Device = N'C:\Backups\DD_' + @DBName + '_Full_' +
CAST(DAY(GETDATE()) AS NVARCHAR(4)) +
CAST(MONTH(GETDATE()) AS NVARCHAR(4)) +
CAST(YEAR(GETDATE()) AS NVARCHAR(8)) + N'.BAK'
SET @Name = @DBName + N' Full Backup'
BACKUP DATABASE @DBName TO DISK = @Device WITH INIT , NOUNLOAD ,
NAME = @Name, NOSKIP , STATS = 10, NOFORMAT
RESTORE VERIFYONLY FROM DISK = @Device WITH FILE = 1
FETCH NEXT FROM cur_DBs INTO @DBName
END
CLOSE cur_DBs
DEALLOCATE cur_DBs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
---- Removing Older Backup Files -------------------
DECLARE @Error INT, @D DATETIME
SET @D = CAST('20020801 15:00:00' AS DATETIME)
EXEC @Error = remove_old_log_files @D
SELECT @Error
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
---- *** Procedure to remove old backups **** ------
CREATE PROCEDURE remove_old_log_files
@DelDate DATETIME
AS
SET NOCOUNT ON
DECLARE @SQL VARCHAR(500), @FName VARCHAR(40), @Error INT
DECLARE @Delete VARCHAR(300), @Msg VARCHAR(100), @Return INT
SET DATEFORMAT MDY
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#dirlist') IS NOT NULL
DROP TABLE #DirList
CREATE TABLE #dirlist (FName VARCHAR(1000))
CREATE TABLE #Errors (Results VARCHAR(1000))
-- Insert the results of the dir cmd into a table so we can scan it
INSERT INTO #dirlist (FName)
exec master..xp_cmdshell 'dir /OD C:\Backups\*.trn'
SET @Error = @@ERROR
IF @Error <> 0
BEGIN
SET @Msg = 'Error while getting the filenames with DIR '
GOTO On_Error
END
--SELECT * FROM #dirList
-- Remove the garbage
DELETE #dirlist WHERE
SUBSTRING(FName,1,2) < '00' OR
SUBSTRING(FName,1,2) > '99' OR
FName IS NULL
-- Create a cursor and for each file name do the processing.
-- The files will be processed in date order.
DECLARE curDir CURSOR READ_ONLY LOCAL
FOR
SELECT SUBSTRING(FName,40,40) AS FName
FROM #dirlist
WHERE CAST(SUBSTRING(FName,1,20) AS DATETIME) < @DelDate
AND SUBSTRING(FName,40,40) LIKE '%.TRN'
OPEN curDir
FETCH NEXT FROM curDir INTO @Fname
WHILE (@@fetch_status = 0)
BEGIN
-- Delete the old backup files
SET @Delete = 'DEL "C:\Backups\' + @FName + '"'
INSERT INTO #Errors (Results)
exec master..xp_cmdshell @Delete
IF @@RowCount > 1
BEGIN
SET @Error = -1
SET @Msg = 'Error while Deleting file ' + @FName
GOTO On_Error
END
-- PRINT @Delete
PRINT 'Deleted ' + @FName + ' at ' + CONVERT(VARCHAR(28),GETDATE(),113)
FETCH NEXT FROM curDir INTO @Fname
END
CLOSE curDir
DEALLOCATE curDir
DROP TABLE #DirList
DROP TABLE #Errors
RETURN @Error
On_Error:
BEGIN
IF @Error <> 0
BEGIN
SELECT @Msg + '. Error # ' + CAST(@Error AS VARCHAR(10))
RAISERROR(@Msg,12,1)
RETURN @Error
END
END
GO