Question

LDF/MDF viewer?

Asked by: fifo_thekid

Is there and LDF and/or MDF viewer?

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Asked On
2008-07-24 at 14:06:55ID23593807
Tags

SQL Server

,

MDF viewer

,

LDF viewer

Topic

MS SQL Server

Participating Experts
4
Points
500
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: dportasPosted on 2008-07-24 at 14:15:20ID: 22083602

Yes. It's called SQL Server :)

Attach the files to a working SQL Server.

 

by: fifo_thekidPosted on 2008-07-24 at 14:16:23ID: 22083617

Lol
I know that I can attach them
But, how can I view the contents of the LDF file?

 

by: dportasPosted on 2008-07-24 at 14:17:21ID: 22083627

 

by: fifo_thekidPosted on 2008-07-24 at 14:26:32ID: 22083689

what about LDFs stored in .bak files?

 

by: chapmandewPosted on 2008-07-24 at 14:34:01ID: 22083746

the tool dportas told you about is about the only way to view that kind of stuff

What are you trying to find?

 

by: dportasPosted on 2008-07-24 at 14:34:07ID: 22083747

That's a slightly inaccurate question. LDFs are not stored in SQL Server backup files. Full backup files store data pages only. Log backup files store the active portion of the log at the time of backup.

You can use RESTORE HEADERONLY to see the header info about the backup. To view the actual data you'll have to restore it or use a binary file viewer. I don't know of any special viewer for backup files.

 

by: jorge_torizPosted on 2008-10-20 at 16:17:14ID: 22763188

Sorry dportas... you are so wrong... when you make a full backup and then restore it in another server, it will generate the ldf file.

The difference between a full backup and a log backup is that full backup COPIES the content of your ldf file to the backup file, and the log backup MOVES the content of the ldf file.

 

by: angelIIIPosted on 2008-10-21 at 00:06:13ID: 22765018

just a small clarification:

<..>the difference between a full backup and a log backup is that full backup COPIES the content of your ldf file to the backup file, and the log backup MOVES the content of the ldf file.<...>

AFAIK, only the ACTIVE part of the log file is backed up in either case, not the full .ldf file. the actual log file size if specified in the .mdf header section, hence the correct size can be restored. that also explains why, even with large .ldf files, but low activity and/or regular log backups, the (log) backup (part) remains small.



 

by: dportasPosted on 2008-10-21 at 01:25:05ID: 22765339

Angel is quite right and I could have worded my answer better. What I meant was that it's misleading to talk about the data or log FILES being backed up. Full backups contain data from the active virtual log but a SQL backup is not a backup of the MDF / LDF files themselves. Sorry for any confusion.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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