Add Secondary Database

Add Secondary Database

How to: Add a Secondary Database (SQL Server Management Studio)

SQL Server 2008 R2

This topic explains how to add a secondary database to an existing log shipping configuration using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.

To add a secondary database

1. Right-click the database you want to use as your primary database in the log shipping configuration, and then click Properties.
2. Under Select a page, click Transaction Log Shipping.
3. Under Secondary server instances and databases, click Add.
4. Click Connect and connect to the instance of SQL Server that you want to use as your secondary server.
5. In the Secondary database box, choose a database from the list or type the name of the database you want to create.
6. On the Initialize Secondary database tab, choose the option that you want to use to initialize the secondary database.
7. On the Copy Files tab, in the Destination folder for copied files box, type the path of the folder into which the transaction logs backups should be copied. This folder is often located on the secondary server.
8. Note the copy schedule listed in the Schedule box under Copy job. If you want to customize the schedule for your installation, click Schedule and then adjust the SQL Server Agent schedule as needed. This schedule should approximate the backup schedule.
9. On the Restore tab, under Database state when restoring backups, choose the No recovery mode or Standby mode option.
10. If you chose the Standby mode option, choose if you want to disconnect users from the secondary database while the restore operation is underway.
11. If you want to delay the restore process on the secondary server, choose a delay time under Delay restoring backups at least.
12. Choose an alert threshold under Alert if no restore occurs within.
13. Note the restore schedule listed in the Schedule box under Restore job. If you want to customize the schedule for your installation, click Schedule and then adjust the SQL Server Agent schedule as needed. This schedule should approximate the backup schedule.
14. Click OK.
15. Click OK on the Database Properties dialog box to begin the configuration process.