Log shipping question

Hi
This is my first post in this newsgroup and I am not sure if I have chosen
the correct group. Please advise if a more appropriate group exists.
I am planning to set up replication to a standby sql server using RYO log
shipping in an application where a move to a backup site may be required if
the main site is compromised, and back again when the situation has been
resolved. The database size is approx 3GB (and growing) making transferring
a full db backup to the standby site over a slow WAN unrealistic - hence log
shipping.
I am happy with the procedures to ship logs to the standby and the mechanism
to bring the standby server on-line when required.
In my scenario I need to transfer any changes made to the standby database
back to the main database when the main server is brought back online - I am
unsure regarding the best approach to this.
The fastest way I can see is:
1. take a log backup from the standby server and copy this to the main
server
2. restore the last main site full db backup, with all following log backups
(this should bring the main server back up to the moment that the fail-over
to the standby server was performed)
3. restore the standby log backup (which should then apply all changes made
at the standby server - correct?)
4. bring the main database back on-line
5. take the backup database off-line for subsequent log shipping
I am just not sure if step 3 is safe - ie can the log from the standby
server be safely applied to the main server when switching back.
Secondly, during normal operation is it safe/advisable to truncate the main
database log each time the log is backed up to be shipped to the standby
server?
Thanks
Bas
--
========================================
==
Bas Groeneveld
Benchmark Design System and Software Engineering
PO Box 165N, Ballarat North, VIC 3350
Phone: +61 3 5333 5441 Mob: 0409 954 501Bas
http://www.sql-server-performance.c...og_shipping.asp
"Bas Groeneveld" <nospam@.nospam.com.au> wrote in message
news:Pvnof.11451$V7.2999@.news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> Hi
> This is my first post in this newsgroup and I am not sure if I have chosen
> the correct group. Please advise if a more appropriate group exists.
> I am planning to set up replication to a standby sql server using RYO log
> shipping in an application where a move to a backup site may be required
> if
> the main site is compromised, and back again when the situation has been
> resolved. The database size is approx 3GB (and growing) making
> transferring
> a full db backup to the standby site over a slow WAN unrealistic - hence
> log
> shipping.
> I am happy with the procedures to ship logs to the standby and the
> mechanism
> to bring the standby server on-line when required.
> In my scenario I need to transfer any changes made to the standby database
> back to the main database when the main server is brought back online - I
> am
> unsure regarding the best approach to this.
> The fastest way I can see is:
> 1. take a log backup from the standby server and copy this to the main
> server
> 2. restore the last main site full db backup, with all following log
> backups
> (this should bring the main server back up to the moment that the
> fail-over
> to the standby server was performed)
> 3. restore the standby log backup (which should then apply all changes
> made
> at the standby server - correct?)
> 4. bring the main database back on-line
> 5. take the backup database off-line for subsequent log shipping
> I am just not sure if step 3 is safe - ie can the log from the standby
> server be safely applied to the main server when switching back.
> Secondly, during normal operation is it safe/advisable to truncate the
> main
> database log each time the log is backed up to be shipped to the standby
> server?
> Thanks
> Bas
> --
> ========================================
==
> Bas Groeneveld
> Benchmark Design System and Software Engineering
> PO Box 165N, Ballarat North, VIC 3350
> Phone: +61 3 5333 5441 Mob: 0409 954 501
>
>sql