XADM: Current Log Files Are Lost After Incomplete Restore

ID: Q179654


The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.5


SYMPTOMS

If you don't restore all of your incremental backups, the process of restoring Microsoft Exchange Server databases will cause your current log files to be deleted.

Any existing log files will also be deleted if an older backup set is restored and the service started. For example, if a full online backup is made on Sunday and Monday, and then on Tuesday the backup from Sunday is restored, when the service is started any logs generated on Tuesday will be deleted.

Therefore, it is very important to backup any existing log files before restoring from backup.


CAUSE

After the restore of the online backup, if ALL the incremental backups are not restored before the information store is started, Exchange Server will replay the log files to the point where the log file numbers are skipped, and then delete the remaining log files. Unless the current log files are copied to another location before the restore, they are permanently lost, along with all the messages contained in those log files. This is by product design.

Keywords : kbusage XADM
Version : WINDOWS:4.0,5.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: March 25, 1999
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