About restoring from SQL filegroup backups

With filegroup backups, you can restore the entire database, a primary filegroup, a filegroup containing a deleted or changed table, and a nonprimary filegroup.

The following are conditions for filegroup restores:

  • All filegroups must be restored to the same point in time. For example, if a table is deleted from a filegroup, you cannot restore that filegroup to a point in time before the table was deleted and then leave it at that time; you must continue restoring the filegroup to the same point in time shared by all existing filegroups.

    To be able to restore a filegroup to the same point in time as the other filegroups, run one of the following log backups:

    • If the database is intact, run a Log backup.

    • If any files or filegroups are missing, run a Log – No Truncate backup.

    Note:

    If the primary filegroup is missing, the log backup methods are unavailable. You can restore the database only up to the last log backup.

  • Filegroup restores can be redirected to a different server, but the database file paths cannot be changed. For example, if the filegroup was backed up from G:\SQLDATA then the filegroup must be restored to G:\SQLDATA, regardless of the server the restore is redirected to.

    The options Restore all databases to default drive and Restore all database files to the target instance’s data location on the Restore Job Properties for SQL dialog box do not apply to filegroup restores. Filegroups must be restored to the same drive letter and path that they were backed up from.

  • When restoring from filegroup backups, separate restore jobs are required.

  • Previous versions of Backup Exec cannot restore filegroup backups made with this release of Backup Exec.

More Information

Restoring an entire SQL database, a missing primary filegroup, or a filegroup containing a deleted or changed table

Restoring a missing or corrupted SQL nonprimary filegroup

About restoring from SQL filegroup backups