April 8, 2009 at 6:39 am
Hopefully, someone out there can help! I am in the broadcast field, and am running Microsoft SQL Server (v 8.00.761) on our BE Idi-20 importer. This computer handles interfacing audio, etc.. to our digital (HD) transmitter. Yesterday, when I arrived at the transmitter site, the Importer had shut down due to a FULL hardrive. In looking at the drive, I found that SQL Server had a .ldf file that was 36gB in size! It was located in the following directory:
C: Program Files>Microsoft SQL Server>MSSQL>Data>EOC_DB_Ver_1_1_QOS_Log_ldf
My question is: How do I go about downsizing this .ldf file, and how can I keep it from doing this again? I have consulted with technical support at BE, and they know little about SQL Server, their only solution was to re-format the hardrive and start all over again! This is not an option that I am willing to take at this time.
Anyone have any ideas??
April 8, 2009 at 6:43 am
Let me guess, full recovery model, no log backups? Please read through this - Managing Transaction Logs[/url]
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
April 8, 2009 at 7:46 am
Short answer, run backup log with truncate_only option, then shrink the log file.
You need to either set simple recovery model for that database (in the options) or set up log backups.
Gail's article will also help.
April 8, 2009 at 8:38 am
Where do I find the setup/configuration options? There is not a desktop or menu icon to access qsl server.
April 8, 2009 at 8:55 am
Enterprise manager is the SQL management tool. If installed, it'll be somewhere on the start menu, probably under Microsoft SQL Server.
Is there anyone there who knows anything about SQL? This could get a bit hairy to fix.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
April 8, 2009 at 9:14 am
brianc (4/8/2009)
My question is: How do I go about downsizing this .ldf file, and how can I keep it from doing this again?
Simple Recovery model
I have consulted with technical support at BE, and they know little about SQL Server, their only solution was to re-format the hardrive and start all over again! This is not an option that I am willing to take at this time.
OMG!!!:w00t:
You gave us the real definition of a Technical Support.
Who manages this SQL server anyway?
April 8, 2009 at 9:45 am
There is nothing as far as I can see, either on the desktop or programs menu to start running the SQL server, or any options available as far as maintenance. The only thing I can see is the SQL server listed under the "Program Files" in the tree directory. If you click on the SQL SERVER folder, it will show you 2 more folders labeled "80" and "MSSQL"... in the MSSQL folder there are 4 sub folders, BINN, DATA, INSTALL & LOG. Inside the Data folder is where the .ldf file is located, with 36gB of data.
There is no-one here (on site) who has ANY experience with SQL Server, and apparently no-one at Broadcast Electronics knows squat about it either.
As far as your question about who manages the server, that would be me, and as you see, I have -ZERO- experience with this program, and honestly, if the drive had not filled up and shut the computer down, I would not of even opened up the computer. Aside from an occasional re-boot and cleaning, this computer (Importer) just sits there and runs.
I know this is frustrating to experienced users, to try and advise on how to fix a specific problem, and I extremely appreciate the input and ability to tap into your knowledge base.
I am able to follow specific directions if you have the time to detail what I need to do to get this machine back up and running. Thank You for your time and help, it is GREATLY appreciated!
April 8, 2009 at 9:54 am
Sounds like the client tools weren't install on the server. Was SQL Server installed as part of the application or separately? I guess what I'm trying to figure out is if you have the media for SQL Server available. Looks like you may need to install the client tools.
April 8, 2009 at 9:58 am
SQL Server was already installed on the computer when we purchased it. The only disks we received with it were the windows XP recovery disk (OS) which contains only the XP operating system....
April 8, 2009 at 10:15 am
Where did you purchase the computer from? It's really, really odd to buy a machine that has SQL pre-loaded. Especially if you didn't get the installation materials
This is going to be an entertaining couple of days...
How comfortable are you with the command line?
Is your windows login a member of the local admin group on the server is question? If not, do you know, by any chance, what the sa password is? (though I have an odd feeling I know what it will be)
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
April 8, 2009 at 10:30 am
GilaMonster (4/8/2009)
If not, do you know, by any chance, what the sa password is? (though I have an odd feeling I know what it will be)
Nooooooooo! Please not that!!!!!
April 8, 2009 at 10:31 am
They may have purchased it from the vendor. That would explain how SQL Server was preinstalled.
April 8, 2009 at 10:54 am
The computer was purchased directly from Broadcast Electronics. Their solution is to wipe the drive clean and start over again. At this point, I'm beginning to think that maybe that isn't such a bad idea, but you never learn anything by taking the easy road. As the station chief engineer, I really would like to FIX the problem, not work around it.
You, as a fimiliar user of SQL Server, what would you recommend? It sounds as if I have some missing utilities that would be required to fix this problem. The machine is not internet capable, and furthermore, there is less than 10mB of disk space available, so installing anything on the drive would be impossible until some drive space were cleared out, and frankly, there is not anything on the drive except for the windows operating system, and Ibiquity's software for the HD Radio data stream.
April 8, 2009 at 10:55 am
The computer was purchased directly from Broadcast Electronics. Their solution is to wipe the drive clean and start over again. At this point, I'm beginning to think that maybe that isn't such a bad idea, but you never learn anything by taking the easy road. As the station chief engineer, I really would like to FIX the problem, not work around it.
You, as a fimiliar user of SQL Server, what would you recommend? It sounds as if I have some missing utilities that would be required to fix this problem. The machine is not internet capable, and furthermore, there is less than 10mB of disk space available, so installing anything on the drive would be impossible until some drive space were cleared out, and frankly, there is not anything on the drive except for the windows operating system, and Ibiquity's software for the HD Radio data stream.
April 8, 2009 at 11:01 am
You said the computer is not Internet capable, is it on a local area network?
It may be possible to download and install the SQL Server Express management tools (Gail, am I right here) and use those from a remote PC to make "corrections" to SQL Server if we (you) can successfully connect to SQL Server on the server.
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