Differential Backup disproportionately large

Hello,
Just recently I noticed that on one of our databases, the diff backups
are HUGE compared to the full backups.
For example, the regular full backup is only 80 MB, however the diff
backups are 800 MB to 1.2 GB in size. The activity on this database is
low. Our other databases are not exhibiting this anomaly, whereas they
have much higher activiity.
Is there any logical explanation for this? How I can see what's going
on with the diff backups?
Thanks muchAre you sure you don't have several backups on the same file? Use RESTORE HEADERONLY.
--
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
<tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message news:1161877716.372685.197900@.h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Hello,
> Just recently I noticed that on one of our databases, the diff backups
> are HUGE compared to the full backups.
> For example, the regular full backup is only 80 MB, however the diff
> backups are 800 MB to 1.2 GB in size. The activity on this database is
> low. Our other databases are not exhibiting this anomaly, whereas they
> have much higher activiity.
> Is there any logical explanation for this? How I can see what's going
> on with the diff backups?
> Thanks much
>|||No, it's not possible. For example, I just now deleted all the DIFF
backups and started from zero. I ran the differential backup again. It
ran for about 5 minutes and created a diff backup that is 1.6 GB in
size! The db itself is only 90 MB in size, and the log is 137 MB in
size.
? Not sure how to go about troubleshooting this one... never seen
this problem before.
Tibor Karaszi wrote:
> Are you sure you don't have several backups on the same file? Use RESTORE HEADERONLY.
> --
> Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
> http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
> http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
>
> <tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message news:1161877716.372685.197900@.h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> > Hello,
> >
> > Just recently I noticed that on one of our databases, the diff backups
> > are HUGE compared to the full backups.
> >
> > For example, the regular full backup is only 80 MB, however the diff
> > backups are 800 MB to 1.2 GB in size. The activity on this database is
> > low. Our other databases are not exhibiting this anomaly, whereas they
> > have much higher activiity.
> >
> > Is there any logical explanation for this? How I can see what's going
> > on with the diff backups?
> >
> > Thanks much
> >|||Strange... What does RESTORE HEADERONLY and RESTORE FILELISTONLY say? Anything out of the ordinary?
Does the size go down after doing a database backup?
--
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
<tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message news:1161878879.100901.263140@.k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> No, it's not possible. For example, I just now deleted all the DIFF
> backups and started from zero. I ran the differential backup again. It
> ran for about 5 minutes and created a diff backup that is 1.6 GB in
> size! The db itself is only 90 MB in size, and the log is 137 MB in
> size.
> ? Not sure how to go about troubleshooting this one... never seen
> this problem before.
>
>
> Tibor Karaszi wrote:
>> Are you sure you don't have several backups on the same file? Use RESTORE HEADERONLY.
>> --
>> Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
>> http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
>> http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
>>
>> <tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1161877716.372685.197900@.h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>> > Hello,
>> >
>> > Just recently I noticed that on one of our databases, the diff backups
>> > are HUGE compared to the full backups.
>> >
>> > For example, the regular full backup is only 80 MB, however the diff
>> > backups are 800 MB to 1.2 GB in size. The activity on this database is
>> > low. Our other databases are not exhibiting this anomaly, whereas they
>> > have much higher activiity.
>> >
>> > Is there any logical explanation for this? How I can see what's going
>> > on with the diff backups?
>> >
>> > Thanks much
>> >
>|||Hi Tibor, thanks for the suggestion, RESTORE FILELISTONLY revealed the
problem.
Tibor Karaszi wrote:
> Strange... What does RESTORE HEADERONLY and RESTORE FILELISTONLY say? Anything out of the ordinary?
> Does the size go down after doing a database backup?
> --
> Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
> http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
> http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
>
> <tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message news:1161878879.100901.263140@.k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> > No, it's not possible. For example, I just now deleted all the DIFF
> > backups and started from zero. I ran the differential backup again. It
> > ran for about 5 minutes and created a diff backup that is 1.6 GB in
> > size! The db itself is only 90 MB in size, and the log is 137 MB in
> > size.
> >
> > ? Not sure how to go about troubleshooting this one... never seen
> > this problem before.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Tibor Karaszi wrote:
> >> Are you sure you don't have several backups on the same file? Use RESTORE HEADERONLY.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
> >> http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
> >> http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
> >>
> >>
> >> <tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message
> >> news:1161877716.372685.197900@.h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> >> > Hello,
> >> >
> >> > Just recently I noticed that on one of our databases, the diff backups
> >> > are HUGE compared to the full backups.
> >> >
> >> > For example, the regular full backup is only 80 MB, however the diff
> >> > backups are 800 MB to 1.2 GB in size. The activity on this database is
> >> > low. Our other databases are not exhibiting this anomaly, whereas they
> >> > have much higher activiity.
> >> >
> >> > Is there any logical explanation for this? How I can see what's going
> >> > on with the diff backups?
> >> >
> >> > Thanks much
> >> >
> >|||tootsuite@.gmail.com wrote:
> Hi Tibor, thanks for the suggestion, RESTORE FILELISTONLY revealed the
> problem.
>
Don't leave us hanging! What was the problem?
Tracy McKibben
MCDBA
http://www.realsqlguy.com|||It's embarassingly stupid, I'm afraid - was backing up the wrong
database :-)
Tracy McKibben wrote:
> tootsuite@.gmail.com wrote:
> > Hi Tibor, thanks for the suggestion, RESTORE FILELISTONLY revealed the
> > problem.
> >
> Don't leave us hanging! What was the problem?
>
> --
> Tracy McKibben
> MCDBA
> http://www.realsqlguy.com|||<tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1161888872.392346.209340@.e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
> It's embarassingly stupid, I'm afraid - was backing up the wrong
> database :-)
>
LOL!
If it's any consolation, you're not the only person who has done stuff like
that. :-)
> Tracy McKibben wrote:
>> tootsuite@.gmail.com wrote:
>> > Hi Tibor, thanks for the suggestion, RESTORE FILELISTONLY revealed the
>> > problem.
>> >
>> Don't leave us hanging! What was the problem?
>>
>> --
>> Tracy McKibben
>> MCDBA
>> http://www.realsqlguy.com
>