FIX: SQLMAINT Backup to Tape with Verify Only Checks the First File

Using the verify option for either database or transaction log backups to tapes in the sqlmaint utility causes sqlmaint to generate a RESTORE VERIFYONLY ... WITH FILE=1 statement when running the job. On a tape device, you can have several files on the same tape; the file to verify may not be the first one.

For example, for a database backup job, you can use SQL Server Profiler to trace server activity and see the following statements: Even if there are existing files on the tape, sqlmaint always checks the first file of the tape, due to the inherent FILE=1 option. Because you can have many files on the same tape, SQL Server will probably verify a file that has nothing to do with the file that you want to verify. Consequently, database administrators might think that their backup has been verified, when indeed it has not.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SQL Server 7.0. This problem has been corrected in U.S. Service Pack 3 for Microsoft SQL Server 7.0. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information, contact your primary support provider.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SQL Server 2000.