How to back up SQL transaction logs

Backup Exec includes two methods for backing up transaction logs: Log and Log No Truncate.

When running log backups, it is recommended that you use Backup Exec exclusively to perform log truncations if you decide to truncate the logs. After a transaction log has been truncated by something other than a log backup, you must run a full or differential backup before you run another log backup.

Use the Log No Truncate method only when the database is corrupted or database files are missing. This method backs up transactions that you may not be able to access otherwise when the database is in this state. You can then use this transaction log backup along with the last database backup and any previous transaction log backups to restore the database to the point at which it failed; however, any uncommitted transactions are rolled back. The Log No Truncate method does not remove committed transactions after the log is backed up.

To use the Log No Truncate backup to restore a database, you should also have a database backup that was created before the Log No Truncate backup. The transaction log contains only the log files used in the restore process, which alone are not sufficient to restore a complete database. You must have at least one database backup or a full set of filegroup backups and a log backup of the database to restore a database.

Caution:

Do not run a log backup using either method if the SQL database is using the simple recovery model. With the simple recovery model, you can recover data only up to the most recent full or differential backup. If you run a log backup on a database using the simple recovery completion state, the backup will fail.

To check the database properties, from the Database management tools on the SQL Server, right-click the database, click Properties, click the Options tab, and then view the configuration settings.

See Backing up SQL transaction logs.

How to back up SQL transaction logs