Question on Differencial Backup

Hi,
I am setting an differencial backup/restore for the SQL Server, I have two
questions need help,
1. If I do a whole database backup on the first day of each month, and the
time is 3:00AM, then how to configure the differencial backup, should I
exclude the day of doing the whole database backup? How to do a whole month
differencial backup except only one day?
2. If the differencial backup is to use the append to media, how to control
the size of the back up? (I plan to backup to the hard disk).
Thanks in advance
FrankFrank
Pls read this article
<http://vyaskn.tripod.com/ sql_serve...r />
.htm#Step1
> --administaiting best practices
"Frank" <wangping@.lucent.com> wrote in message
news:O9JHP8$CFHA.3924@.TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
> I am setting an differencial backup/restore for the SQL Server, I have two
> questions need help,
> 1. If I do a whole database backup on the first day of each month, and the
> time is 3:00AM, then how to configure the differencial backup, should I
> exclude the day of doing the whole database backup? How to do a whole
month
> differencial backup except only one day?
> 2. If the differencial backup is to use the append to media, how to
control
> the size of the back up? (I plan to backup to the hard disk).
> Thanks in advance
> Frank
>|||The differential contains all changes since the last full backup so there's
no point in doing one straight after the full (but it wouldn't hurt just
won't have much to do).
I wouldn't append the backups as if you have a corrupt file you lose all of
them. It's easier to handle if every backup is in it's own file with a
datestamp.
see
http://www.mindsdoor.net/SQLAdmin/B...lDatabases.html
Which will do full, log and diff backups for all databases and delete old
backup files.
A full backup once a month is not usual though - why have you chosen that?
Usually it is during a quiete period so every night or at weekends.
Often if you leave too long between full backups then a lot of pages get
changed and the diff ends up backing up nearly the whole database anyway.
Very important.
Make sure you test restore the full backup. This is even more important with
your scenario as if you don't have log backups then a corrupt full backup
will invalidate all the following diffs and you could end up losing a couple
of months of data.
"Frank" wrote:

> Hi,
> I am setting an differencial backup/restore for the SQL Server, I have two
> questions need help,
> 1. If I do a whole database backup on the first day of each month, and the
> time is 3:00AM, then how to configure the differencial backup, should I
> exclude the day of doing the whole database backup? How to do a whole mont
h
> differencial backup except only one day?
> 2. If the differencial backup is to use the append to media, how to contro
l
> the size of the back up? (I plan to backup to the hard disk).
> Thanks in advance
> Frank
>
>|||Thanks Uri but I could not open the linked website.
Frank
"Uri Dimant" <urid@.iscar.co.il> wrote in message
news:uBJJaxCDFHA.3540@.TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Frank
> Pls read this article
>
<http://vyaskn.tripod.com/ sql_serve...r />
.htm#Step1
>
>
>
>
> "Frank" <wangping@.lucent.com> wrote in message
> news:O9JHP8$CFHA.3924@.TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
two[vbcol=seagreen]
the[vbcol=seagreen]
> month
> control
>|||Thanks so much for your detailed information.
Frank
"Nigel Rivett" <sqlnr@.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:27A5A43B-8C56-4554-BC25-4A212364C921@.microsoft.com...
> The differential contains all changes since the last full backup so
there's
> no point in doing one straight after the full (but it wouldn't hurt just
> won't have much to do).
> I wouldn't append the backups as if you have a corrupt file you lose all
of
> them. It's easier to handle if every backup is in it's own file with a
> datestamp.
> see
> http://www.mindsdoor.net/SQLAdmin/B...lDatabases.html
> Which will do full, log and diff backups for all databases and delete old
> backup files.
> A full backup once a month is not usual though - why have you chosen that?
> Usually it is during a quiete period so every night or at weekends.
> Often if you leave too long between full backups then a lot of pages get
> changed and the diff ends up backing up nearly the whole database anyway.
> Very important.
> Make sure you test restore the full backup. This is even more important
with
> your scenario as if you don't have log backups then a corrupt full backup
> will invalidate all the following diffs and you could end up losing a
couple[vbcol=seagreen]
> of months of data.
>
> "Frank" wrote:
>
two[vbcol=seagreen]
the[vbcol=seagreen]
month[vbcol=seagreen]
control[vbcol=seagreen]|||Nigel,
There are many useful tips and articles in your webpage.
Thanks again
Frank
"Nigel Rivett" <sqlnr@.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:27A5A43B-8C56-4554-BC25-4A212364C921@.microsoft.com...
> The differential contains all changes since the last full backup so
there's
> no point in doing one straight after the full (but it wouldn't hurt just
> won't have much to do).
> I wouldn't append the backups as if you have a corrupt file you lose all
of
> them. It's easier to handle if every backup is in it's own file with a
> datestamp.
> see
> http://www.mindsdoor.net/SQLAdmin/B...lDatabases.html
> Which will do full, log and diff backups for all databases and delete old
> backup files.
> A full backup once a month is not usual though - why have you chosen that?
> Usually it is during a quiete period so every night or at weekends.
> Often if you leave too long between full backups then a lot of pages get
> changed and the diff ends up backing up nearly the whole database anyway.
> Very important.
> Make sure you test restore the full backup. This is even more important
with
> your scenario as if you don't have log backups then a corrupt full backup
> will invalidate all the following diffs and you could end up losing a
couple[vbcol=seagreen]
> of months of data.
>
> "Frank" wrote:
>
two[vbcol=seagreen]
the[vbcol=seagreen]
month[vbcol=seagreen]
control[vbcol=seagreen]