OK to delete tranlog backups?

Hi. bit of a newbie question. My predecessor set up maintenance plans in
SQL 2000 to back up databases and tranlogs (two separate plans.) The
database backup runs nightly. The tranlog backups run on the half-hour
during busines hours. In the folder where the backups are stored, there are
many tranlog backup filess. They are not being purged as designed in the
maint plan (there is a statement in the job step that says delete after 2
days.) Two questions: why are the tranlog backup files not being purged as
expected, and how do I know which log backup files I can delete manaually?
Thanks.Coop wrote:
> Hi. bit of a newbie question. My predecessor set up maintenance plans in
> SQL 2000 to back up databases and tranlogs (two separate plans.) The
> database backup runs nightly. The tranlog backups run on the half-hour
> during busines hours. In the folder where the backups are stored, there are
> many tranlog backup filess. They are not being purged as designed in the
> maint plan (there is a statement in the job step that says delete after 2
> days.) Two questions: why are the tranlog backup files not being purged as
> expected, and how do I know which log backup files I can delete manaually?
Q1: if the logs aren't named with the same rules as the maintplan, then
the agent won't consider them to be 'old'
Q2: as long as you don't need to playback between full backups (or if
you have copies on tape or elsewhere), you should be able to safely
delete any tranlog bkup files that preceed the timestamp for your latest
full backup file.|||Q1: Also, this can happen if the log backup plan includes databases in simple recovery model.
--
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://sqlblog.com/blogs/tibor_karaszi
"horseradish" <millardjk@.gmail.com> wrote in message news:uCD1wKYqHHA.3484@.TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Coop wrote:
>> Hi. bit of a newbie question. My predecessor set up maintenance plans in
>> SQL 2000 to back up databases and tranlogs (two separate plans.) The
>> database backup runs nightly. The tranlog backups run on the half-hour
>> during busines hours. In the folder where the backups are stored, there are
>> many tranlog backup filess. They are not being purged as designed in the
>> maint plan (there is a statement in the job step that says delete after 2
>> days.) Two questions: why are the tranlog backup files not being purged as
>> expected, and how do I know which log backup files I can delete manaually?
> Q1: if the logs aren't named with the same rules as the maintplan, then
> the agent won't consider them to be 'old'
> Q2: as long as you don't need to playback between full backups (or if
> you have copies on tape or elsewhere), you should be able to safely
> delete any tranlog bkup files that preceed the timestamp for your latest
> full backup file.