If you need to set up mirroring...

[johnpalmer]

... on SQL2005, SP2, before the rollup-fixes released afterwards, you need to

1) backup the primary
2) restore the backup on the secondary
3) shrink the primary's transaction log file
4) run a differential backup, and restore that to the secondary
5) run a transaction log backup and restore *that* on the secondary as well, then
6) set up mirroring.

If you think "I don't need a differential, I already have a Transaction Log backup", or if you think "why would I need a transaction log *after* I take the differential?" don't. Just stop that thinking *right there*. Just do it.

Trust me.

RazzfrazzinFOURHOURSrazzafrazzinShouldaBeenAQuietAFTERNOONrazzafrazzaSQL....

Comments

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

While I probably will never have to perform any of your procedures, for which I am grateful, I appreciate how clearly they are written.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Nod. I'm learning the value of additional "don't think" instructions.

One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Total Recall where one of the top bad guys castigates an underling with "Don't think! I don't give you enough information to think!" It's not funny or brilliant, but damn, are there times when it's true.

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

Too true. Most of my "thinking" involves thinking of questions to ask to elicit further information.

Speaking of questions, I asked a question in my LJ that Pat tells me you know the answer to. I am thinking of buying an Asus eee, and I wondered what "XP compatible" means. Do they provide XP and you just have to install it, or what? (I'm wondering if you have to pay for XP.)

[grey-lady.livejournal.com]

A friend's quote is: "I do these things so you don't have to."

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Chuckle. Yeah. This has supposedly been fixed, but damn.

The scary thing is, I did follow those instructions... just not all at once. I shrunk the log file, took a differential, and tried to start mirroring. Nope. I took a t-log, and restored it, and tried to start mirroring. Nope. I shrunk the log further, and did another t-log transfer. Nope.

Then, the next guy, who came on after I'd been working on this for the aforementioned four hours, got it up and running in five minutes.

So if anyone, anywhere, hears this and avoids the mess, I'm grateful....

[kightp.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear.