Large Transaction Logs

I have some databases that are keeping log files (.ldf) that are 3 times the
size of the db and very large. What is the best way to shrink the size of
these .ldf files? I have made backups of the db's and transaction logs
using SQL database maintenance (as some have suggested), but this does not
shrink the .ldf files. What else can I do?
Brandon
Presentations Direct - "Document Finishing Solutions"
http://www.presentationsdirect.comBrandon,
Backing up a transaction log will clear it but not shrink it. Use DBCC
SHRINKFILE on the t-log. Tibor has some more info here:
http://www.karaszi.com/SQLServer/info_dont_shrink.asp
HTH
Jerry
"Brandon" <bsmith@.presentationsdirect.nospam.com> wrote in message
news:eO5MHFOgGHA.1320@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>I have some databases that are keeping log files (.ldf) that are 3 times
>the size of the db and very large. What is the best way to shrink the size
>of these .ldf files? I have made backups of the db's and transaction logs
>using SQL database maintenance (as some have suggested), but this does not
>shrink the .ldf files. What else can I do?
> --
> Brandon
> Presentations Direct - "Document Finishing Solutions"
> http://www.presentationsdirect.com
>|||You might want to investigate what is or has inflated them.
Reindexing, bulk loads of data, replication, etc, can all grow your
logs and there are ways of addressing each.|||Logs can get "locked" if something is hitting them. Example: I have an
Indexdefrag job that fills up a log. I have to stop the job before I can
shrink it. (I am using Simple recovery mode on this database.) You may wan
t
to use View/Textpad to see if the log is filled with active or not. If
you're in full mode, after you backup the log, you should see the empty spac
e
increase and the active space decrease.
"Brandon" wrote:

> I have some databases that are keeping log files (.ldf) that are 3 times t
he
> size of the db and very large. What is the best way to shrink the size of
> these .ldf files? I have made backups of the db's and transaction logs
> using SQL database maintenance (as some have suggested), but this does not
> shrink the .ldf files. What else can I do?
> --
> Brandon
> Presentations Direct - "Document Finishing Solutions"
> http://www.presentationsdirect.com
>
>|||Specific to Transaction logs, here are a few articles you might like to
look at:
INF: Transaction Log Grows Unexpectedly or Becomes Full on SQL Server
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=317375
INF: Shrinking the Transaction Log in SQL Server 2000 with DBCC SHRINKFILE
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...kb;EN-US;272318
INF: How to Shrink the SQL Server 7.0 Transaction Log
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...kb;EN-US;256650
INF: Considerations for Autogrow and Autoshrink Configuration
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...kb;EN-US;315512
INF: Incomplete Transaction May Hold Large Number of Locks and Cause
Blocking
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...kb;EN-US;295108
Taking a backup of the log will not shrink the size of log , also its
important to consider the recovery model of the database. Consider using
DBCC SHRINKFILE.
Hope This Helps
Vishal Gandhi