differentials question - can i skip a full backup?

Hi,
I have a SqlExpress app and would like to start using differential
backups (we currently always use full backups) for our auto-backup
utility. The problem is that the users can create their own backups
(always full). My auto-backup utility will not use these files. I
control the auto-backups and hide them from the user.
Can I somehow tell SqlExpress to ignore any user-created backups and
reference my differentials off MY full backups?
thanks very much!
DeannaI see what you want to do, but unfortunately, there's no such setting.
If you could force your users to do the full backups using the COPY_ONLY opt
ion, then those full
backups would not affect your full backup/.diff backup sequence. But there's
no such setting to
force a user to only do such backups...
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
<ddelapasse@.gmail.com> wrote in message news:1165871674.022127.48890@.l12g2000cwl.googlegroup
s.com...
> Hi,
> I have a SqlExpress app and would like to start using differential
> backups (we currently always use full backups) for our auto-backup
> utility. The problem is that the users can create their own backups
> (always full). My auto-backup utility will not use these files. I
> control the auto-backups and hide them from the user.
> Can I somehow tell SqlExpress to ignore any user-created backups and
> reference my differentials off MY full backups?
> thanks very much!
> Deanna
>|||That's GREAT news. The user backs up via the application, so assuming
there's a SQLDMO option for COPY_ONLY I am home free. I'm off to
research. If there's NOT and you have another way to programmatically
cause the COPY_ONLY option please let me know!
thanks so much!
Deanna|||> That's GREAT news. The user backs up via the application, so assuming
> there's a SQLDMO option for COPY_ONLY I am home free.
DMO is deprecated and does not expose new functionality in 2005.
If you really want to use DMO, use .ExecuteImmediate or similar method to ex
ecute the whole BACKUP
command.
Or, use the replacement SMO, which is managed API, and (should) expose the C
OPY_ONLY option of the
backup command through the object model.
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
<ddelapasse@.gmail.com> wrote in message news:1165928275.312674.220290@.f1g2000cwa.googlegroup
s.com...
> That's GREAT news. The user backs up via the application, so assuming
> there's a SQLDMO option for COPY_ONLY I am home free. I'm off to
> research. If there's NOT and you have another way to programmatically
> cause the COPY_ONLY option please let me know!
> thanks so much!
> Deanna
>|||Tibor,
Thanks so much. I was just reading about SMO this morning (we JUST
moved to 2005 and I haven't caught up). I do NOT see the COPY_ONLY
exposed in SMO though. Nor do I see an .ExecuteImmediate on SMO. I
guess I should stick with DMO and use the .ExecuteImmediate. If anyone
knows a way to accomplish this with SMO please let me know. I'd prefer
to dump DMO.
Thanks for all the help!
Deanna|||> I do NOT see the COPY_ONLY
> exposed in SMO though.
Interesting. I had a look and couldn't find it. Perhaps it is considered to
o unusual so it isn't
exposed through the SQL object model.

> Nor do I see an .ExecuteImmediate on SMO.
I didn't say there exist such a method in SMO. I was referring to DMO. In SM
O, you can use
ExecuteNonQuery on either a ServerConnection object (which is what I would u
se) or a Database
object.
Or, you check out the BackupRestoreBase class, which has members such as Exe
cuteSql (etc). I don't
think you'll find COPY_ONLY here, but it seems to be another way of sending
TSQL commands to the
engine.
--
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
<ddelapasse@.gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1165933594.476139.251730@.l12g2000cwl.googlegroups.com...
> Tibor,
> Thanks so much. I was just reading about SMO this morning (we JUST
> moved to 2005 and I haven't caught up). I do NOT see the COPY_ONLY
> exposed in SMO though. Nor do I see an .ExecuteImmediate on SMO. I
> guess I should stick with DMO and use the .ExecuteImmediate. If anyone
> knows a way to accomplish this with SMO please let me know. I'd prefer
> to dump DMO.
> Thanks for all the help!
> Deanna
>