backup a database to CD

[DavidJA]

Hey all,

The powers that be have insisted that as well as our normal backup to tape rotation that happens every night, I backup our entire DB to CD once a week so that we have a perminate off-site record.

The problem is my DB is around 1.4 gig, and obviosuly to large to fit on one file. Is there a way to make SQL2K split its backup to 3 files each 600meg big?

 

[bperry]

Seems unnecessary, but I know what it's like arguing with 'powers-that-be'.

I don't look after backups at our shop, but off-hand I was wondering about writing to DVD, because the capacity is much greater. Is that practical yet?

 

[bperry]

What about splitting your .mdf file into three or four physical files, and each file in its own filegroup. Then do three filegroup backups. Or stop the Server process, and then copy (not backup) each of the three files to CD.

 

[tlbroadbent]

You could split the database into multiple files and then backup the individual files. See "Files and Filegroups" in SQL BOL.

Another option would be to backp up to hard disk and then use a file utility to split the backup into three files on CDs. You can search the Internet for retail, shareware, and freeware utilities. Here are some links I found.

http://www.softpile.com/Utilities/File_Management/16index2.html

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,6938,00.asp

http://www.simplythebest.net/filemanagers.html

http://www.kiarchive.ru/pub/msdos/filutil/

http://users.interconnect.net/billburn/file.html

http://www.itsfree4u.com/fileu.shtml

http://space.dolphin.free.fr/Windows/split.html

Terry L. Broadbent - DBA
Computing Links:

http://tlbroadbent.home.attbi.com/prog.htm

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