L' Eomot Inversé (4/17/2012)

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Ernie Schlangen (4/17/2012)

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sknox (4/16/2012)

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I would say that since the question read "...could you see a log file bigger than usual?" the only logical answer is yes. While the bulk-logged recovery model is a feature designed to reduce log file growth, it does not constrain log file growth. Therefore you certainly could see a larger log file in some circumstances.

However, I would also say that that does not seem to be the intent of the question. The question was poorly worded, but the explanation is correct. So, poor wording of the question has given us a "If False then True" situation -- which, if my memory of basic logic serves me properly, is still True. So much for logic.

This is pretty much the way I looked at this question. The key word to me was could as well, which pretty much forces the answer to be yes because it is such an open-ended question. I'm thinking along the lines of Arthur C. Clarke's first law:

When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.

The trouble is that to many people (including me) it looks as if the question means "is it at all likely that the decision to switch to bulk mode increases the size of" whatever it refers to. If it refers to the log file (which is what it says) the answer is clearly NO. If it refers to the backup file (which is what the question author says he intended) the answer is clearly YES.

And yes, regardless of Clark's law I will state that it is extremely unlikely that a switch to bulk logging will cause an increase in the log file size, and that it's equally unlikely that it won't cause an increase in the log backup size. If you believe Clarke's law you will probably want to claim that when I (an elderly scientist - on whether distinguished or not I make no comment:-D) say that it is impossible that switching to bulk logged mode then doing a bulk operation then switching back to full mode and then doing a backup will lead to a smaller backup file that doing all the same except that the recovery mode switches are omitted I am likely to be talking from the wrong orifice, and that probable mistake on your part just goes to show that Clarke's law is (exactly as he intended) a broad generalisation that can't be used to determine specific outcomes although it can be used to indcate that unvalidated theories (as opposed to empirical knowledge) are often a waste of space.

Edit: eliminate double negatives (Cha toigh leam a' bheurla shasunnach - I hate the English gibberish).