SQL Server: Logging, Recovery, and the Transaction Log

The logging and recovery mechanism is one of the most misunderstood parts of SQL Server, but it's one of the most critical for you to understand. There are a lot of log management problems you can run into that can cause workload performance problems and even application outages. This comprehensive course, written by someone who has actually worked on the SQL Server logging and recovery code itself, explains everything practical there is to know about how logging and recovery work, and how to avoid and recover from problems with the transaction log. The course follows a building-blocks approach, starting with a simple definition and example of how logging is used, and then covering transaction log architecture and log recorss themselves. Using this knowledge, the course then moves into details of checkpoint operations, general transaction log operations including log clearing and VLF management, and how recovery and crash recovery work. The three recovery models are described in detail, as well as how to create and configure transaction logs for optimal performance, including monitoring transaction log performance. The course ends with a detailed module on transaction log backups, tail-of-the-log-backups, and examining transaction log contents, and then a module on dealing with transaction log corruption and how logging and recovery are used in high-availability technologies. The course is perfect for anyone who has to manage SQL Server and wants to avoid common transaction log problems, as well as those looking for in-depth coverage of everything to do with the transaction log. The information in the course applies to all versions from SQL Server 2005 onwards.