topic Re: Snapmanager for SQL server: Tail-Log backup in Data Protection

Snapmanager for SQL server: Tail-Log backup

_Robert_ — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 23:06:58 GMT

Hi,

I have a few questions about Snapmanager for SQL server.

I want to be able to restore to a point in time/the latest point in time after the last transaction log backup in case of for example: damaged database(no damaged logfiles) / database is offline and fails to start.

In this situation it is common practice to:
- make a tail-log backup
- restore the latest full database backup and transaction log backups
- restore the tail-log backup

Snapmanager for SQL is configured to make full backups every night and transaction log backups are scheduled every hour.

- Is it possible to make a tail-log backup using Snapmanager for SQL?
- Is it possible to make a tail-log backup using SQL management Studio and use it with the full backup and transaction log backups from Snapmanager for SQL server?

Kind regards,

Robert

Re: Snapmanager for SQL server: Tail-Log backup

dmauro — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 05:26:18 GMT

all you need in that scenario is what we call UpToTheMinute Restore. it will do exactly what you need: restore from the last full backup and replay all backed up logs + (if available) all most recent and not yet backed up logs in the Active File System.

hope that answers your question,

Domenico

Re: Snapmanager for SQL server: Tail-Log backup

_Robert_ — Wed, 14 Oct 2015 07:40:40 GMT

Thanks. That's exactly what we need! Is there any documentation how to configure this?

I don't have the up-to-the-minute option when I want to restore. The best option I have is to restore to the latest transaction log backup.

The Snapmanager for SQL documentation did not help much.

Robert

Re: Snapmanager for SQL server: Tail-Log backup

dmauro — Wed, 14 Oct 2015 12:20:34 GMT

Hi,

so, here is where you can perform a UTM restore:

if you don't click the "Point In Time" button, SMSQL will implicitly do a UTM restore.

However, please note that it will only replay logs which were previously backed up by a Full Backup or a Log only backup.

If you (at restore time) need a UTM including also the last minutes logs, I suggest you stop the connections to the SQL server, backup only the logs and perform the restore UTM as described above.

here is extra info from the IAG:

"How long do you want to retain transaction log backups on the source storage
system?
SnapManager needs transaction log backups to perform up-to-the-minute restore operations, which
restore your database to a time between two full backups. For example, if SnapManager took a full
backup at 8:00 a.m. and another full backup at 5:00 p.m, it could use the latest transaction log backup
to restore the database to any time between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. If transaction logs are not
available, SnapManager can perform point-in-time restore operations only, which restore a database
to the time that SnapManager completed a full backup.
Typically, you require up-to-the-minute restores for only a day or two, which means you would
retain transaction log backups for one or two days."

hope that clarifies things.

Domenico Di Mauro.

Re: Snapmanager for SQL server: Tail-Log backup

_Robert_ — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 09:54:41 GMT

Hi Domenico Di Mauro,

So the UpToTheMinute restore is actually not UpToTheMinute, but up to the minute of the most recent transaction log backup.

What you are saying is: Make a regular transaction log backup before you want to restore to the latest state?
In some situations it might not be possible to do that. That's where the Tail-log backup comes in.

Scenarios That Require a Tail-Log Backup:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms179314.aspx

I can't find the backup log options (No_Truncate, Continue_After_Error, With NoRecovery) which can be used for a Tail_log backup available in Snapmanager for SQL.
Am I correct, that this is just not possible in Snapmanager for SQL?

Regards Robert