I backed up a database:
BACKUP DATABASE MyDatabase
TO DISK = 'MyDatabase.bak'
WITH INIT --overwrite existing
And then tried to restore it:
RESTORE DATABASE MyDatabase
FROM DISK = 'MyDatabase.bak'
WITH REPLACE --force restore over specified database
And now the database is stuck in the restoring state.
Some people have theorized that it's because there was no log file in the backup, and it needed to be rolled forward using:
RESTORE DATABASE MyDatabase
WITH RECOVERY
Except that, of course, fails:
Msg 4333, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
The database cannot be recovered because the log was not restored.
Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally.
And exactly what you want in a catastrophic situation is a restore that won't work.
The backup contains both a data and log file:
RESTORE FILELISTONLY
FROM DISK = 'MyDatabase.bak'
Logical Name PhysicalName
============= ===============
MyDatabase C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\DATA\MyDatabase.mdf
MyDatabase_log C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\DATA\MyDatabase_log.LDF
You need to use the WITH RECOVERY
option, with your database RESTORE
command, to bring your database online as part of the restore process.
This is of course only if you do not intend to restore any transaction log backups, i.e. you only wish to restore a database backup and then be able to access the database.
Your command should look like this,
RESTORE DATABASE MyDatabase
FROM DISK = 'MyDatabase.bak'
WITH REPLACE,RECOVERY
You may have more sucess using the restore database wizard in SQL Server Management Studio. This way you can select the specific file locations, the overwrite option, and the WITH Recovery option.