Log Shipping

Log shipping is a method for backing up SQL Server databases via a failover server. Database experts point out that log shipping offers several advantages over database mirroring in guaranteeing critical system availability in the event of a disaster. Log shipping involves copying a transaction log file from a production database to a reserve database server, and the secondary database can then be regularly updated with the current transaction logs. With log shipping, you can have an up-to-date standby database ready 24/7 without having to buy, install and maintain database mirroring software.

Other advantages of using a transaction log backup method are that the backups are much smaller than full backups (faster, cheaper data transfer) and that restoring can be done on a continuous basis.

Idera’s SQL Safe backup and recovery solution enables log shipping backup. With SQL Safe, you can create log shipping policies to automate partial or full transaction log backups. Establishing log shipping policies to send back up log files to servers in remote locations at established intervals allows you to protect your mission-critical data with minimal effort and cost. SQL Safe also offers log shipping monitoring so you will be instantly notified of any synchronization issues or delays in the arrival of log files.