Have you ever encountered an error while trying to restore a database in SQL Server? One such error that can be encountered is the “STOPAT” error. In this blog post, we will discuss this error and how to resolve it.

The STOPAT error occurs when you try to restore a transaction log backup to a point in time that is earlier than the point in time of a previous backup. This error is commonly encountered when using the point in time restore feature of SQL Server.

Let’s take a look at an example to understand this error better. Suppose you have taken two full backups of a database, SQLAuthority, and a transaction log backup. Now, if you try to restore the transaction log backup using the STOPAT option and specify a time that is earlier than the point in time of the previous backup, you will encounter the STOPAT error.

Here is a script that demonstrates this scenario:

USE [master]
GO
IF (DB_ID('SQLAuthority') IS NOT NULL)
BEGIN
    ALTER DATABASE [SQLAuthority] SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE
    DROP DATABASE [SQLAuthority]
END
GO

USE [master]
RESTORE DATABASE [SQLAuthority] FROM DISK = N'E:\Backup\SQLAuth_2.bak' 
WITH FILE = 1, NORECOVERY, NOUNLOAD, STATS = 5

RESTORE LOG [SQLAuthority] FROM DISK = N'E:\Backup\SQLAuth_3.bak' 
WITH FILE = 1, NOUNLOAD, STATS = 5, STOPAT = '2016-01-17 22:05:50.593' --This time has to be modified
GO

In the above example, the STOPAT option is set to a time that is earlier than the point in time of the previous backup. This will result in the STOPAT error.

To resolve this error, you need to specify a time that is after the point in time of the previous backup. This ensures that the transaction log backup can be applied successfully without encountering the STOPAT error.

It is important to note that the time specified in the STOPAT option should be modified according to your script execution and should be a time before the second full backup.

Understanding and resolving restore errors like the STOPAT error is crucial for database administrators and developers working with SQL Server. By familiarizing yourself with these errors and their solutions, you can ensure smooth database restore operations.

Have you ever encountered any interesting restore errors? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below!