We have a SQL 2005 server running the following backup job:

EXECUTE master.dbo.xp_create_subdir
N'\\Server\Backups\DBServerName\\DB_Name__METABASE '

GO

EXECUTE master.dbo.xp_create_subdir
N'\\server\Backups\DBServerName\\DB_Name__MSCRM'

GO

BACKUP DATABASE [db_name__metabase] TO disk = N'\\server\Backups
\DBServerName\\DB_Name__METABASE
\DB_Name__METABASE_backup_200610261158.bak' WITH differential ,
noformat , noinit , name =
N'DB_Name__METABASE_backup_20061026115839' , skip , rewind ,
nounload , stats = 10

GO

DECLARE @backupSetId AS INT

SELECT @backupSetId = position
FROM msdb..backupset
WHERE database_name = N'DB_Name__METABASE'
AND backup_set_id = (SELECT MAX(backup_set_id)
FROM msdb..backupset
WHERE database_name =
N'DB_Name__METABASE')

IF @backupSetId IS NULL
BEGIN
RAISERROR (N'Verify failed. Backup information for database
''DB_Name__METABASE'' not found.',16,1)
END

RESTORE verifyonly FROM disk = N'\\server\Backups\DBServerName\
\DB_Name__METABASE\DB_Name__METABASE_backup_200610 261158.bak' WITH
FILE = @backupSetId , nounload , norewind

GO

BACKUP DATABASE [db_name__mscrm] TO disk = N'\\server\Backups
\DBServerName\\DB_Name__MSCRM\DB_Name__MSCRM_backu p_200610261158.bak'
WITH differential , noformat , noinit , name =
N'DB_Name__MSCRM_backup_20061026115839' , skip , rewind , nounload ,
stats = 10

GO

DECLARE @backupSetId AS INT

SELECT @backupSetId = position
FROM msdb..backupset
WHERE database_name = N'DB_Name__MSCRM'
AND backup_set_id = (SELECT MAX(backup_set_id)
FROM msdb..backupset
WHERE database_name = N'DB_Name__MSCRM')

IF @backupSetId IS NULL
BEGIN
RAISERROR (N'Verify failed. Backup information for database
''DB_Name__MSCRM'' not found.',16,1)
END

RESTORE verifyonly FROM disk = N'\\server\Backups\DBServerName\
\DB_Name__MSCRM\DB_Name__MSCRM_backup_200610261158 .bak' WITH FILE =
@backupSetId , nounload , norewind

This job was set up long before i started here and the problem is that
the backup file itself has grown to be over 230 GB. It does not
appear that the backup job is pruning the file. is there a way to
view the contents of this file and then prune it so we keep no more
then two weeks worth of data.

Thanks

"Bryan" <bsockel (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote

I'd do several things here.

I'd probably rewrite the entire thing.

For one it has a date hard coded, which obviously will cause confusion.

Anyway, try

RESTORE FILELISTONLY from disk =
N'\\server\Backups\DBServerName\\DB_Name__METABASE \DB_Name__METABASE_backup_200610261158.bak'


I'd probably copy this file someplace else and start over with daily and
transactional bakcups.

In fact I'd make a full backup right away.

It looks like you're only doing differential backups. Without a full to
base these off of, they're basically useless.

(and at this point that means you have 230 GB of useless backups.)

As for pruning, I recommend using a single backup file per file and simply
deleting the older ones.






--
Greg Moore
SQL Server DBA Consulting
Email: sql (at) greenms.com http://www.greenms.com