New Log or append?

I'm backing into the DBA position from being an app / web designer. Using SQL 2005 and hating wizards, I'm trying to code a BACKUP LOG query to run every 15 minutes and create a separate date-time-stamped TRN. I have several questions starting with - should I be doing this Is it better to create separate LOGs or append to one Isn't it true that the only time I'll need the LOGs is when I have a crash and that then I'll need to RESTORE in date-time-order

I'm doing a FULL backup every 6 hours and intend on automating deleting the TRNs on a successful completion of the BAK.

The following code runs fine and creates a date-time-stamped TRN but doesn't do what I want, as it overwrites the first TRN, so how do I create, say, four JOBSTEPs and get a JOBSTEP @COMMAND to run the SETs

USE msdb

IF EXISTS (SELECT Name FROM sysjobs WHERE Name = 'jobDBBackupWedb_1Log')

EXEC sp_delete_job @job_name = 'jobDBBackupWedb_1Log'

DECLARE @now char(14) -- current date in the form of yyyymmddhhmmss

DECLARE @dbName sysname -- database name to include date-time-stamp

DECLARE @Cmd nvarchar(260) -- variable used to build JobStep command

SET @now = REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(CONVERT(VARCHAR(50), GETDATE(), 120), '-', ''), ' ', ''), ':', '')

SET @dbName = 'Wedb_1_' + @now + '_.trn'

SET @Cmd = 'BACKUP LOG Wedb_1 TO DISK = ' + CHAR(39) + '\\SERVER1\D$\SQLDatabases\Backup\WebEoc\' + @dbName + CHAR(39)

EXEC sp_add_job

@Job_Name = 'jobDBBackupWedb_1Log',

@Description = 'Run Wedb_1 DB Backup Transaction Log Every 15 Minutes',

@Category_Name = 'Database Maintenance'

EXEC sp_add_jobstep

@Job_Name = 'jobDBBackupWedb_1Log',

@step_name = 'DB_Backup_Log',

@step_id = 1,

@Database_Name = 'Master',

@subsystem = 'TSQL',

@command = @Cmd

EXEC sp_Add_JobSchedule

@Job_Name = 'jobDBBackupWedb_1Log',

@Name = 'schedDB_BackupLog',

@Freq_Type = 4, -- Daily

@Freq_Interval = 1, -- Each day

@Freq_Subday_Type = 0x4, -- Interval in minutes

@Freq_Subday_Interval = 15, -- Every fifteen minutes

@Active_Start_Time = 000730 -- Start Time is seven and one half minutes after midnight

--@Active_End_Time = 235959 -- End Time is next midnight

EXEC sp_Add_JobServer

@Job_Name = 'jobDBBackupWedb_1Log'

My opinion, I'd create DB Maint Plans to do database and trans log backups, and not write my own, unless there is some real good reason to. Main plans aren't perfect, but still better then trying to reproduce the same end result. One of the points of backing up the trans log is for disaster recovery. You could backup your trans log every 30 minutes, then copy/move those backups off to a different server/tape, etc... So, I wouldn't stack them on one file, becuase you need to move them continually to a different box, or yea, backup cross server, ehhhh.... I prefer local backups and then copying them somewhere else, like with RoboCopy. The times you nee the trans logs are for recovery, or to do log shipping to a different server (similar concept to database mirroring, but still more in use then mirroring is I think). If doing a full backup every 6 hours, same thing, back it up and move it off somewhere safe, not leave that on teh same drives as your database files! I'd still leave the old TRN files on teh other location, there COULD be a case where you need to go back 9 hours, then you'd have the old trans and backups to get there, I wouldnt delete the TRN files every 6 hours as you said.

Bruce

Thanks ... but ...

I'm backing up to a separate / different network drive on a different / separate server that my network admin has established as a SANs - Storage Area Network - drive. That SANs drive is data specific and is being snap-shot-backed-up every 5 minutes. Then it goes to tape every night at 11:00 PM.

The nature of the DB is that the WebEoc is for running the SEOC - State Emergency Operations Center - during hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.

I think that the problem with your original script is that you are creating the backup command when you create the job rather than dynamically creating and executing the command when executing the job.

Try the re-worked version below.

Chris

Chris,

Thank you very kindly! I take your comment about run-time, create/execute; that was spot on. Thanks for the code change - works like a charm ...

... but, I've looked and not found an answer, what is the "N" doing for me in SET @cmd = N'DECLARE ...

Is it declaring that what follows is all an NVARCHAR string