Using Db Maint, Working with…

Backup Devices

A backup device is the destination for a database or a log backup. It is basically a pointer to a file or an installed tape device. SQL Server also supports taking backups directly to the physical backup destination; in this case, the “pointer” (the backup device) does not exist. Db Maint uses backup devices. Each time a backup is performed, a backup device is created having the same name as the physical file (for instance “Northwind_200201215_0215_dbas”).

Regardless of how a backup was performed, the backups are listed in the main window (Backup devices). The list is built from the SQL Server backup history tables and the pre-defined backup devices.

Available devices

This is a list of the backup devices. This list is not displayed if you opened the dialog by right clicking on a backup device in the “Backup Devices” folder; instead, the backup device name will be presented.

Show contents

Populates the "Contents on backup device" list. This is a list of backup sets included on this backup device. The list is assembled by issuing a statement (RESTORE/LOAD HEADERONLY) to SQL Server, which tells SQL Server to read the backup header on the device. This can take a while for a tape backup device. Please refer to the RESTORE/LOAD HEADERONLY command in Books Online for explanation of the columns in the list.

Note: SQL Server 6.5 Service pack 2 introduced a bug when reporting size for each member in the backup device. The first members' size is reported as the second members' size, the second members' size is reported as the third members' size etc. The last members' size is not reported at all (the size can be found in SQL Servers errorlog or the Db Maint log).

Check Space on Hard Drive

Displays available space on the hard drive where the backup device is residing. This only returns information for local disk backup devices (in contrast to backup devices specified through an UNC name).

Remove file when deleting backupdevice

Check this if you want the physical file to be removed when deleting a backup device.

New

Displays the New Backup Device dialog.

Delete

Deletes the selected backup device.