Using Backup Media
The backup media is the actual physical storage used by the backup device to store the backup. Backup media can be either disk or tape.
For example, a backup device might be the file C:\Backups\Accounting\Full.bak. The backup media is the disk containing the file. Similarly for tape, a backup device might be the \\.\TAPE0 tape device on the local computer. The backup media are the physical tapes used to store the backup.
This section discusses the following aspects of working with backup media.
|Using Media Sets and Families||Microsoft® SQL Server™ uses media sets, families, sequence numbers and other methods to properly organize backups and ensure correct media is being used for each backup and restore operation.|
|Initializing Backup Media||Before using the backup media for the first time, SQL Server must initialize, or format, the media and write a media header.|
|Password Protection||SQL Server 2000 allows backups to be protected with a password. Both the media and the backup itself can be password protected.|
|Overwriting Backup Media||SQL Server has safeguards to prevent you from accidentally overwriting media. Additionally, SQL Server can automatically overwrite backup sets that have reached a predefined expiration date.|
|Appending Backup Sets||New backup sets can be appended to existing media to make the best possible use of the available space.|
|Identifying the Backup Set to Restore||Backup sets are numbered so that users can specify which backup set on the media is to be restored.|