ASA Database Administration Guide
  Backup and Data Recovery
    Backup and recovery tasks

Making a backup, renaming the original transaction log

This set of backup options is typically used for databases involved in replication. In addition to making backup copies of the database file and transaction log, the transaction log at backup time is renamed to an offline log, and a new transaction log is started with the same name as the log in use at backup time.

For more information about when to use this set of backup options, see A backup scheme for databases involved in replication.

To make a backup, renaming the transaction log (Sybase Central)

1. Start Sybase Central. Connect to the database as a user with DBA authority.

2. Right-click the database and choose Create Backup Images from the popup menu. The Create Backup Images wizard appears.

3. Click Next on the introductory page of the wizard.

4. Select the database that you want to back up.

5. On the next page, enter the name of a directory to hold the backup copies, and choose whether to carry out a complete backup (all database files) or an incremental backup (transaction log file only).

6. On the next page, select the option Rename The Transaction Log.

7. Click Finish to start the backup.

To make a backup, renaming the transaction log (SQL)

• Use the BACKUP statement with the following clauses:

  BACKUP DATABASE
  DIRECTORY backup_directory
  [ TRANSACTION LOG ONLY ]
  TRANSACTION LOG RENAME

  Include the TRANSACTION LOG ONLY clause only if you are making an incremental backup.

  The backup copies of the transaction log and database file are placed in backup_directory. If you enter a path, it is relative to the working directory of the database server, not your client application.

To make a backup, renaming the transaction log (Command line)

• From the command prompt, enter the following command. You must enter the command on a single line:

  dbbackup -c "connection_string" -r [ -t ] backup_directory

  Include the -t option if you are making an incremental backup.

  The backup copies of the transaction log and database file are placed in backup_directory. If you enter a path, it is relative to the directory from which you run the command.

Notes 

Before the online transaction log can be renamed, all outstanding transactions must terminate. If there are outstanding transactions, your backup will not complete. For information, see Backup internals.

You can determine which connection has an outstanding transaction using the sa_conn_info system procedure. If necessary, you can disconnect the user with a DROP CONNECTION statement.

For more information, see Determining which connection has an outstanding transaction.