Log shipping best method? How to initiate an existing plan?

My question is two fold. First, What is the best method for mirroring to a fail-over server? Replication has limits on tables that do not have key fields, and I am finding that Log Shipping is harder to work with.

I have set it up several times, and conducted tests with test databases, but when it fails, I get no indication as to why, and I also can find no way to re-initiate it (without deleting the maintenance plan and starting over). Which leads to my second question, is there a way to manually initiate a log shipping plan already defined?

Thanks in advance!

Rollin

Refer to http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/2005/dbmirror.mspx for a discussion on Database Mirroring and comparison between various HA techniques -- mirroring, replication, log shipping, etc.

Each technology has its own place and usage. Your requirements will determine what is the best method to use.

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Thank you for your reply to my question. We are using SQL 2000 (enterprise) here, and I don't think the Enterprise edition is available in SQL 2005. If it is, it will not be approved here for some time.

Is there an area that discusses this for SQL 2000?

Thank you,

Rollin

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The following link provides more information specific to SQL 2000.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/2000/deploy/sqlhalp.mspx

But, you ask for the "best method for mirroring to a fail-over server?" In general, there is no "best method" because there are tradeoffs between the different technologies. You have already indicated that there are differences between transactional replication and log shipping.

As a starting point, Microsoft recommends looking at the following technologies for high availability to see if they meet your business needs.

1. Failover clustering

2. Log shipping

3. Transactional replication

4. Backup / Restore.

There _should_ be information as to why the log shipping fails, but I cannot give more information without looking at the system. I do know there is no way to manually script log shipping in 2000.

I hope this helps.

Thanks,

Mark

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Thank you for your reply. We were able to discover that the network controller, being set to auto, was still defaulting to the slowest speed, and I beleive the SQL transaction transfer was simpley timing out. We set the controller to 100, and things have been working so far.

Thanks again, Rollin

|||Can I log ship from a 2000 server toi a 2005 server?|||

This specific scenario is not tested, but the restore from a 2000 backup to a 2005 server is.

It is not supported through the normal log shipping stored procedures.

But, _you_ can write jobs that back the 2000 log, copy it to the 2005 server and do the restore.

Does this make sense?

Thanks,

Mark

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I don't know if this is still active, but...

Does the compatibility level of the desination DB need to remain at 80, or can it be set to 90 with a SWL 2000 source if we wanted to manually configure log shipping?

Thanks,

Jason