Log Backup (SAP Library - The SAP DB Database System:)

Log Backup

In a log backup, the contents of the log area are copied to version files or backed up using an external backup tool.

A version file is generated for each log segment of the log area.

The space originally taken up by the backed up log area becomes free again after the log backup.

Log Backup Types

The following log backup options are supported for the database system SAP DB:

Need for log backup

In the case of a recovery, a data backup alone is not enough to restore the current state of the database instance up to a certain point in time (for example, the time just before the disk error occurred).
To restore the current state, both the data backup and the log entries that were written after the data backup must be imported into the database system.

If new log entries cannot be written because there is not enough storage space in the log area, the database stops.

For these reasons, it is necessary to back up the log entries at regular intervals.

See also:

Backup Strategy