FIX: Dump File Archive Attribute Not Set if Previously Cleared
  
PSS ID Number: Q109200
Article last modified on 10-31-1994
 
4.20
 
WINDOWS
 

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The information in this article applies to:
 
  - Microsoft SQL Server version 4.2
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BUG# NT: 609 (4.2)
 
SYMPTOMS
========
 
If the archive attribute has been previously cleared, SQL Server for
Windows NT does not reset the archive attribute when dumping to an existing
dump file. It is common to dump to a disk file, then in a second step use a
file backup program to save the disk dump file(s) to tape. Since many tape
backup programs depend on the archive attribute for incremental backup,
this can result in the SQL dump file not being backed up to tape.
 
Example:
 
Each day the log is dumped to disk then an automated tape backup program
dumps to tape. Since many backup programs rely on the archive bit, any log
dump after the first never gets saved to tape, then the disk file is
overwritten by the next dump. The behavior is the same on both the NTFS and
FAT file systems.
 
NOTE: SQL Server for OS/2 properly resets the archive attribute on existing
dump files.
 
WORKAROUND
==========
 
If using a tape or any other backup program to backup SQL Server for
Windows NT disk dump files, do not rely on an incremental backup based on
the archive attribute. Instead use the complete, or full backup function of
the program. Alternately, you can manually turn on the archive attribute of
existing dump files with the following command,
 
   attrib +a filename
 
where filename is the name of the disk dump file.
 
Another option is to completely delete the existing disk dump file before
doing another dump. If the file does not exist, it will be created with the
archive attribute set.
 
STATUS
======
 
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft SQL Server
version 4.2. This problem was corrected in SQL Server version 4.21. For
more information, contact your primary support provider.
 
Additional reference words: 4.20 bit Windows NT
KBCategory: kbother
KBSubcategory: SSrvWinNT
 
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Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1994.
