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Q235195: SMS: Shared SQL Server Backup Can Corrupt Backup Files

Article: Q235195
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): 2.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbinterop kbConfig kbDatabase kbServer kbsms200 kbsms200bug kbsmsUtil
Last Modified: 08-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Systems Management Server version 2.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you attempt to restore the SQL database for a Microsoft Systems Management
Server (SMS) site, the restore process may not be successfully completed.

CAUSE
=====

This behavior can occur if the primary site's SQL database is on a shared
Microsoft SQL Server computer also used by other primary sites. The SMS backup
process begins by getting a directory list of *.tmp files in the root folder of
the system where the SQL Server computer is installed. It then generates a
unique file name for temporary files used during backup. There is a delay
between the generation of this unique file name and the actual creation of the
temporary file in the SQL Server root folder. Meanwhile, another site server,
which is also using that same SQL Server computer, is running the same process.
It also generates the same temporary file name for use during its site database
backup because the other site process has not yet created the new *.tmp file.
One of these temporary files overwrites the other, corrupting the backup for the
other site server.

WORKAROUND
==========

To work around this issue, be sure to stagger the backup of SMS sites that share
a common SQL Server computer.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server
version 2.0.

MORE INFORMATION
================

By staggering the SMS site backups, you also have the advantage of spreading the
SQL database dump load on the SQL Server computer.

Additional query words: prodsms recovery restore

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Keywords          : kbinterop kbConfig kbDatabase kbServer kbsms200 kbsms200bug kbsmsUtil 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS200
Version           : :2.0
Issue type        : kbbug

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