SQL Server Log shipping is a valuable feature that provides a disaster recovery solution for SQL Server databases. It allows for the automatic backup and restoration of transaction logs to a secondary server, ensuring data integrity and minimizing downtime in the event of a system failure.

To set up SQL Server Log shipping, the database must be in either the full recovery model or the bulk-logged recovery model. If the database is not in one of these models, it can be changed using T-SQL commands or through the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) interface.

Once the database is in the appropriate recovery model, the SQL Server Log shipping configuration can be enabled. This involves scheduling transaction log backup jobs and specifying the backup folder path. The backup settings can be customized to delete old log files and send alerts if backups do not occur within a specified timeframe.

After configuring the primary server, the secondary server instance and databases need to be set up. This involves specifying the instance name or IP address, selecting the database for restoration, and choosing how the full backup will be generated and restored on the secondary database.

The next step is to configure the copy job, which determines where the transaction log backup files will be copied on the secondary server. Similar to the primary server, the copy job can be scheduled and customized to delete copied files after a certain period of time.

Finally, the restore process of the transaction log backup is configured on the secondary server. The database must be in either the No recovery mode or Standby mode during the restoration process. Users can specify a delay in the restore process and set up alerts for any unexpected restores.

Once the SQL Server Log shipping configuration is saved, the jobs will be created on both the primary and secondary servers. It is important to monitor the log shipping process on a daily basis to ensure its effectiveness and address any issues that may arise.

In summary, SQL Server Log shipping is a powerful feature that provides a reliable disaster recovery solution for SQL Server databases. By automating the backup and restoration of transaction logs, it helps to minimize data loss and downtime in the event of a system failure. Understanding how to configure and monitor log shipping can greatly enhance the resilience of your SQL Server environment.

For more information on SQL Server log shipping, you can refer to the article “What is SQL Server log shipping”.