The transaction log records all the changes made by each transaction on the database. When you restore transaction log backup, all the changes stored in the transaction logs are rolled forward. When the database is restored, all transactions that were not complete when the backup operation was started are rolled back. With an updated transaction log backup, you can restore the database to the point of failure or a specific point in time. In this article, we will discuss the step-by-step process to restore the database using the transaction log backup in SQL Server.
Stepwise Process to Restore the SQL Server Transaction Log Backup
Before restoring the SQL Server transaction log backup, ensure the following:
- You must have the RESTORE permissions on the Transaction Log Backup.
- If the transaction log backup is encrypted, you need the VIEW DEFINITION permission to decrypt the backup.
- Restore the backups in the sequence in which they were created. Before restoring a specific transaction log backup, first restore the following previous backups using the WITH NORECOVERY option.
- The backups have been created by using the full recovery model or bulk-logged recovery model.
Now, follow the below steps to restore transaction log backup in MS SQL Server:
- First, open the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and then connect to the appropriate instance of the SQL Server.
- In Object Explorer, click the server name and expand the Databases node.
- Then, expand the System Databases node and click on the system database.
- Click Tasks, select Restore, and then click Transaction Log.
Note: You can restore the transaction log backup only in the restoring mode. If it is not, the transaction log option will be grayed out. In this case, restore the full or differential backup first.
- In the Restore Transaction log window, click on the General option.
- On the General window, under Database, click on the database name.
- Next, specify the source and the location of the backup sets to restore. Click OK.
- In the Select the transaction log backups to restore window, select the backups to restore. This window lists the transaction log backups available for the selected database. You can see a list of the log backups according to LSN (log sequence numbers). Follow this order sequence to restore the log backups.
- Next, select Point in time or Marked transaction option.
- To select the advanced options, in the Select a Page pane, click Options.
- In the Restore options section, select the Recovery state as WITH RECOVERY. Click OK.
This will restore the selected transaction log backup files.
Alternatively, you can use T-SQL commands (see the below example) to restore SQL Server transaction log backup.
RESTORE LOG <database_name> FROM <backup_device> WITH NORECOVERY;
RESTORE DATABASE <database_name> WITH RECOVERY;
GO
What If the SQL Server transaction log backup restore fails?
You may fail to restore the transaction log backup if the backup file is corrupted or damaged. In this case, the only option is to use a third-party MS SQL database repair tool, like Stellar Repair for MS SQL Technician. This reliable tool is specialized in restoring data from corrupted or damaged SQL Server database backups. The tool can recover all the data, including indexes, tables, triggers, stored procedures, and even deleted records with complete integrity. It can effectively recover data from backups of all types – Full, Differential, and Transaction log. It allows to save the recovered objects from the corrupt backup file to a new database, live database, or other formats, such as CSV, HTML, or XLS. The tool supports SQL Server 2022, 2019, and earlier versions.
Conclusion
Above, we’ve discussed the stepwise procedure to restore SQL Server transaction log backup in SQL Server. If the backup (.bak) file has turned corrupt, you can use an advanced SQL database repair tool, like Stellar Repair for MS SQL Technician to restore data from the corrupt database backup file. The tool can also repair corrupt SQL database (NDF/MDF) files and recover all the objects with complete accuracy. The tool supports both Windows and Linux operating systems. A free trial version of the tool is available that allows to scan the corrupt database file and preview the data recoverable data.