How to Fix Corrupted Compressed Backup in SQL Server Easily?

For database administrators, the backups in the SQL Server database play a vital role. Now, to prevent storage issues, they often compress these backup files. But there are certain situations where users might encounter corruption in compressed backup in SQL Server. So, with the help of this article, we will discuss how this corruption is different from other corruptions and how it affects user’s day to day tasks. 

What is SQL Server Backup Compression & How It Helps?

To understand the repair methods for corrupted compressed backup in SQL Server, we must know all about what SQL Server backup compression is and what are the benefits it offers. This will allow us to understand why users tend to compress their SQL backup files, and further end up damaging or corrupting them.

We are well aware of what the term ‘compressed’ means. Now, it is clear that the compressed backups simply define that the backup files in the SQL Server database are packed tightly. Also, these tightly packed backup files do not have any repeated or irrelevant data in them, to make the file efficient to store and use. Furthermore, compressing the backup files offers several benefits to the users, other than just ‘shrinking’ them. Let’s now take a look at these benefits of SQL Server backup compression.

• The major benefit offered is the reduced backup file size.
• Also, helps save the cost of backup storage and disk space.
• Makes the backup operations comparatively faster.
• Allows users and DBAs to share or transfer backup files efficiently. 
• Makes management of backup files much easier in SQL Server. 
• Is fully supported by the SQL Server versions after SQL Server 2008 R2.

These are some of the benefits of SQL Server backup compression in the database. However, to use these advantages, users tend to compress their backup files, which often leads to damaging the backup files or results in corrupted compressed .bak file in SQL. We will now take a look at the common causes and challenges that might occur due to these corrupted .bak files. 

Common Causes and Challenges Encountered With Compressed Backup in SQL Server

Causes for Compressed Backup Corruption in SQL Server:

• Due to failures in storage hardware, such as damaged or failed disks, or even bad sectors. 
• Another common cause can be an abrupt shutdown, a power outage, or a server crash. 
• In case the user isn’t handling the database backup file properly, or if there is partial copying of the database. 
• SQL Server bugs or older SQL versions can also be one of the reasons for the corruption in the SQL Server compressed backup files. 
• If the SQL Server patches aren’t updated with time, they can also lead to such issues.

These are some of the common causes that lead to corruption in the compressed .bak files. Now, what are the challenges encountered due to these files and during the repair process, we will take a look at them as well. 

Challenges Due to .BAK File Compression in Database:

• The backup files in the SQL Server database become unusable once the compressed SQL backups get damaged. 
• With the corrupted backup files in the database, the SQL Server database restore operations fail and prevent database restoration in crucial times. 
• The risk of data loss increases with the corruption in compressed backup in SQL Server. 
• The root cause of such issues is majorly complex to find, further leading to difficulties in resolving the corruption from the affected files. 
• The biggest challenge with the corrupted compressed backup files is that there aren’t many methods available to repair them. 

Due to these challenges, it becomes much more complex for the users to resolve the issue and further carry out their essential tasks. We will now move to the solutions that will help the users to repair the corruption and further learn how to restore compressed backup in SQL Server easily.

Manual Method To Repair Corruption After SQL Server Backup Compression

As we suggested earlier, there aren’t many ways that can help users or database administrators resolve the issue. The SQL Server itself does not offer any direct fix for the compressed file corruption. Even though there are one or two ways available, they do not guarantee the repair of the compressed backup files and can further lead to bigger riskslike permanent data loss in the database. That is why, even if the users plan on going for the manual methods, they can approach them at their own risk. 

So, how to restore compressed backup in SQL Server? This might be a concern for several users, and the answer to this is using an advanced solution for the same. We will now take a look at how a professional solution can be helpful in such situations. 

SQL Server Restore Compressed Backup Professionally 

To fix the corruption after SQL Server backup compression, we will now use a dedicated SQL Backup Recovery Tool by SysTools. This utility is capable of fixing corrupted SQL Server backup files, compressed and non-compressed, both effectively.

Download Now Purchase Now

With the help of this utility, database administrators can restore the compressed backup and restore it to the desired database as required. Here are the steps on how to use the suggested software for precise results.

1. Install and run the expert tool. Add the affected compressed backup file using the Browse button. 
2. To add the compressed .bak file, the tool will ask to log in using SQL Server Authentication mode. 
3. After the files are added, click on the OK button. It will open a window with the compressed backup file(s). Select the desired file. 
4. Then, a preview of the file objects will be displayed for all the recovered database objects. Preview them and then click on the Export Button to proceed. 
5. The tool will offer multiple export options; choose one as required, and add the authentication details accordingly. 
6. Lastly, after adding the destination server or database, click on Export Button to fix compressed backup in SQL Server. 

These steps will allow users with easy SQL Server restore compressed backup. This is a safer approach for file repair, further allowing users to restore the file in the database directly. Let’s now understand a few precautionary steps that will allow DBAs to prevent any issues with the compressed backup files. 

How to Keep Files Safe After SQL Server Backup Compression?

Here are some of the precautionary steps that allow users to safeguard their .bak files after compression in the SQL Server database. 

• It is always safer to use commands like CHECKSUM to detect any corruption early. 
• By verifying the backup file integrity, users can confirm whether the backup files are readable before any damage or corruption. 
• Keep multiple copies of the compressed file backups for disaster recovery. This is one of the best ways to keep the database files safe under any situation. 
• By monitoring the space and health of the disks, users can detect when there s some storage or disk issue in the database.

Conclusion

Through this technical write-up, we learned about corruption in compressed backup in SQL Server. Furthermore, we took a closer look at what these files are and how they can become an obstacle in a database administrator’s day-to-day life. To resolve the issue with utmost efficiency and accuracy, we have mentioned the best way to repair the corruption.