Change the database recovery model

Applies To: System Center 2012 - Data Protection Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Data Protection Manager, System Center 2012 SP1 - Data Protection Manager

SQL Server databases can have one of three types of recovery models: simple, full, or bulk-logged. By default, new databases are usually created in the full recovery model. The following table describes how each model uses log backups.

SQL Server Database Recovery Models

Recovery model Use of log backups

Simple

Does not use log backups.

Full

SQL Server maintains the transactions logs for the databases, allowing log backups to be taken. The logs must be truncated explicitly; otherwise, they continue to grow.

Bulk-logged

Similar to the full recovery model except that certain types of transactions are not logged in the transaction log.

When a database is added to a protection group, System Center 2012 – Data Protection Manager (DPM) detects the recovery model that the database is configured to use. DPM does not allow log, or incremental, backups for databases configured in the simple recovery model. Log backups are only allowed for databases configured in the full and bulk-logged recovery models.

When the recovery model of a protected database is changed from simple to full or bulk-logged, DPM protection continues as configured. When the recovery model of a protected database is changed from full or bulk-logged to simple, express full backups will continue to succeed, but incremental backups will fail.

To change the recovery model of a protected database to the simple recovery model

  1. Stop protection of the database, selecting the retain replica option.

  2. Change the recovery model on the SQL Server database.

  3. Add the database to a protection group.

You should also stop protection of a database before you configure log shipping for the database or change the database to Read Only. After you make the changes to the database, you can reconfigure protection for the database.

When protecting SQL Server databases that are configured to use the full or bulk-logged recovery models, DPM creates a folder on the SQL Server that is being protected. This folder is created in the same location as the first log file (*.ldf) of each protected database.

This folder is used as a temporary store for logs during SQL Server log backup and SQL Server log restore by DPM. If DPM finds the folder missing, DPM will re-create the folder.

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