Failed BackUp

  • No, I haven't tried running the command in t-sql.

    In fact, looking at the error message in the history says 'cannot perform a differential backup... because a current database backup does not exist.' You hit the nail on the head, Jeffrey Williams.

    But I guess the multiple references to a backup log is one of Microsoft's droll little jokes.

  • Tom Breit (6/25/2009)


    No, I haven't tried running the command in t-sql.

    In fact, looking at the error message in the history says 'cannot perform a differential backup... because a current database backup does not exist.' You hit the nail on the head, Jeffrey Williams

    3rd party backup tool or SQL native 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
  • Well, it's the native sql backup, called by a Maintenance Plan.

    FWIW, the Backup Exec SQL backup ran just fine. (Yes, I'm a belt-and-suspenders kind of guy.)

  • Ah, that's what I was suspecting. BackupExec has been noted in the past to cause exactly this problem - error saying that no full backup available, even though one's been done.

    I would suggest stick to one of them (native or backup exec) and then use backup exec to get the backup files elsewhere.

    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
  • I guess I was not explicit. The Backup Exec backup job was NOT called by the Maintenance Plan, BE runs on a different server, and does a SQL backup completely separate from the Maintenance Plan. (We do this on all our SQL Servers.) I don't even know HOW you'd configure a Maintenance Plan to call a 3rd party app.

    it was the Microsoft SQL Server incremental backup that failed, running locally on the local SQL Server. Apparently because a full backup had not been run.

    Maybe all this doesn't matter too much. I've tossed enough crap at Backup Exec, though, that when for once it is not the culprit, I feel obligated to point that out.

  • Tom Breit (6/25/2009)


    I guess I was not explicit. The Backup Exec backup job was NOT called by the Maintenance Plan, BE runs on a different server, and does a SQL backup completely separate from the Maintenance Plan. (We do this on all our SQL Servers.) I don't even know HOW you'd configure a Maintenance Plan to call a 3rd party app.

    Yes, I realise that, but it's doing a backup of the SQL databases that are giving the backup error?

    I've heard of that issue before where both backup exec backups and SQL native backups are taken of the same database and the native diff backups failed with an error stating that a full backup did not exist when one most certainly did.

    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
  • I would make sure that Backup Exec is not running a step to truncate the log or switch the recovery model. If it is doing either of those - it has broken the log chain which is going to require a new backup be created before either a diff or tlog backup can be performed.

    I would recommend that you disable the Backup Exec job that backs up SQL Server, unless you can verify and validate that it is setup to perform a COPY_ONLY backup. If it is not setup this way, then you will be required to restore from this backup before you can restore you differentials since they are only valid from the last full backup taken.

    Jeffrey Williams
    Problems are opportunities brilliantly disguised as insurmountable obstacles.

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

  • Jeffrey Williams (6/25/2009)


    I would make sure that Backup Exec is not running a step to truncate the log or switch the recover model. If it is doing either of those - it has broken the log chain which is going to require a new backup be created before either a diff or tlog backup can be performed.

    Log yes, diff no. Differential backups do not require an intact log chain. Only log backups require that.

    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
  • GilaMonster (6/26/2009)Log yes, diff no. Differential backups do not require an intact log chain. Only log backups require that.

    But, if you perform a backup using Backup Exec - and it changes the recovery model does this not prevent the differentials from being performed because 'there is no current backup'?

    Yes, it is not the log chain that is needed for differentials - but a current backup, and anything that clears the current backup bit is going to cause the differentials to fail.

    What I was trying to get at is that using both methods for backing up is going to cause problems, if only the problem of finding the right backup to restore before trying to restore the differential.

    Jeffrey Williams
    Problems are opportunities brilliantly disguised as insurmountable obstacles.

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

  • Why do a full backup first? Doing a full backup fixed my problem with the same error. I guess you can't backup a log without having at least one full backup.

  • Bill Mosca (10/15/2009)


    I guess you can't backup a log without having at least one full backup.

    No you can't. Until a full backup is taken, the log is auto-truncated on checkpoint (exactly as in simple recovery). The first full backup switches the log into a state where it's retained until backed up.

    Also, a log backup is useless without a full backup to restore it on top of.

    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
  • GilaMonster (10/15/2009)


    Bill Mosca (10/15/2009)


    I guess you can't backup a log without having at least one full backup.

    No you can't. Until a full backup is taken, the log is auto-truncated on checkpoint (exactly as in simple recovery). The first full backup switches the log into a state where it's retained until backed up.

    Also, a log backup is useless without a full backup to restore it on top of.

    That makes perfect sense to me. I just wish the error message had conveyed that instead of saying "see the backup application log" which had the exact same message.

  • HI

    do the following steps to know the full details of the error

    1.open computer management from administration tools

    2. open the system tools tree

    3.open the event viewer tree

    4. select the application properties ( job scheduled time)

    thanks

    Masthan Reddy

  • mmasthanreddy (10/30/2009)


    HI

    do the following steps to know the full details of the error

    1.open computer management from administration tools

    2. open the system tools tree

    3.open the event viewer tree

    4. select the application properties ( job scheduled time)

    thanks

    Masthan Reddy

    Thank you for your reply. I did look at the item in the event viewer and it said exactly the same thing.

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