Piecemeal Restore in SQL Server – What It Is & How It Works?

Written By Andrew Jackson

Approved By Anuraag Singh

Modified On December 24th, 2025

Reading Time 9 Min Read

During disaster recovery in SQL Server database, one of the biggest challenges encountered is the database downtime. In such cases, the concept of piecemeal restore in SQL Server comes in handy. But what does it mean, and how is it helpful? With the help of this article, we will take a close look at the concept of this piecemeal restore and learn its use cases, challenges, and effective measures for a safer restoration of the SQL Server database.

What is SQL Server Piecemeal Restore? Overview

If we talk about the definition only, piecemeal restore is basically a restore strategy in SQL Server. However, what makes it different is its ability to restore the database in phases. When we restore the entire database at once, it is helpful only when the database is of a reasonable size. But as soon as the database gets larger, restoring it entirely becomes challenging for the users and database administrators. In this piecemeal restore in SQL Server process, the SQL database filegroups play an important role as the process is carried out in the following way:

The PRIMARY filegroup of the database is restored first.
Then, the process to bring the database back online is done.
Later, the secondary filegroups are restored.

With these steps, it becomes efficient for database administrators to repair the databases in comparatively less time without affecting any crucial operations afterwards. Working with smaller databases, the normal restoration methods can be effective. But as soon as we are dealing with very large databases (VLDBs), normal methods might take too long to complete, resulting in prolonged database downtime. So, now we are aware of what piecemeal restore in SQL Server is and how it is different from other restore methods. Let’s now take a look at what are the situations where this restoration type is required by the database administrators.

When & Where SQL Piecemeal Restore is Helpful? Common Use Cases Explained

Here, we will discuss some of the use cases where this restore method is helpful, rather than the normal restore methods.

As we discussed above, one of the cases where this method helps is when the user or DBAs have very large databases. These databases are of larger sizes, requiring a method that completes the task efficiently.
One of the major risks with database restoration is the prolonged downtime during workflow. With the help of piecemeal restore in SQL Server, it becomes much easier to restore the database in phases and lower the downtime of organisations’ workflow.
If the database is designed with multiple filegroups, such as PRIMARY or secondary filegroups, are most likely to benefit from this method. As the method works by restoring the database in phases by filegroups.
Most common workspaces where this restore method helps the users are the enterprise production environments, or the databases that are designed and being used for tiered storage.

These are some of the situations where the users benefit from the restore method. It also allows them to proceed with their day-to-day operations and tasks without facing downtime or disruptions. We are now well aware of the definition of what the process is about and the possible use cases where this method is helpful. Let’s now move to the implementation of piecemeal restore in SQL Server method.

How is SQL Server Piecemeal Restore Implemented? Steps Explained

For the implementation of the piecemeal restoration process, it is important to fulfill the prerequisites first and then proceed with the commands. We will first list the prerequisites of the process and then move ahead with the commands that will help with the implementation.

Prerequisites For SQL Piecemeal Restore Process

Ensure that the specified database uses FULL or BULK_LOGGED recovery model in SQL Server, as piecemeal restore in SQL Server is not supported in SIMPLE recovery model.
Check if the database has multiple filegroups, as the piecemeal restoration works by restoring the filegroups one by one.
It is important to have the backup of the PRIMARY filegroup for the restoration.
The database backups are also important for the full database backup and the filegroups backup.
For the process to be carried out efficiently, it is important to have the log file backups available in the database.

Facing Issues With Log Files? Here’s the Expert-Recommended Solution For Log File Issues!

As mentioned here, the transaction log files are crucial for this process of restoration. However, if the files are inaccessible for some reason or are corrupted, the process might fail. In similar situations, users can go with a trustworthy solution to fix transaction log files effectively. One such solution is going with the SysTools SQL Log Analyzer Tool. This is a robust utility that allows users to fix the log file issues in a hassle-free way without affecting the file structure or integrity. This is a safe solution for log file issues and errors in SQL Server database.

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It is also important for the users to check whether the SQL Server version supports the SQL piecemeal restore process.
Sufficient disk space is also required for the database restoration process.

Once the user has met and verified these requirements, it is now time to move to the technical implementation of the process. Let’s see how that’s done.

Step-By-Step Execution of Piecemeal Restore in SQL Server

Step 1: The first step in the execution of this process is to first detect and identify the SQL Server database filegroups. This can be done using the following command.

SELECT name, type_desc
FROM sys.filegroups;

Step 2: The next step is to check the recovery model of the database. Use the code given below for the same.

SELECT name, recovery_model_desc
FROM sys.databases
WHERE name = ‘Database_Name’;

Step 3: Then, we start with restoring the PRIMARY filegroup in SQL Server. This is one of the crucial steps for the piecemeal restore in SQL Server.

RESTORE DATABASE Database_Name
FILEGROUP = ‘PRIMARY’
FROM DISK = ‘Database_Name_Full.bak’
WITH PARTIAL, NORECOVERY;

Step 4: The next step is to restore the transaction log backup in the database.

RESTORE LOG Database_Name
FROM DISK = ‘Database_Name_Log.trn’
WITH NORECOVERY;

Step 5: Once the steps up to this point are completed, it is now time to bring the database online. The command mentioned below will help with the task.

RESTORE DATABASE Database_Name WITH RECOVERY;

Step 6: Next, check the SQL Server database status.

SELECT name, state_desc
FROM sys.database_files;

Step 7: Now, as we have successfully restored PRIMARY filegroups, it is now time to restore the secondary filegroups.

RESTORE DATABASE Database_Name
FILEGROUP = ‘FG_Name’
FROM DISK = ‘FG_Name.bak’
WITH NORECOVERY;

Step 8: This is the last step of the Piecemeal Restore in SQL Server. In this step, we will check the database for the accessibility of the filegroups. Use the given command for the same.

DBCC CHECKDB (Database_Name);

By following these steps, users can carry out the entire process effectively. The execution of the command requires precision and accuracy or it might lead to bigger challenges for the database administrators. Certainly, there are several challenges associated with this process as well. We will now take a look at these challenges and learn how they can be avoided.

Challenges With the SQL Server Piecemeal Restore Process

We will now take a look at the challenges that are often encountered by users. For a successful execution of the process, the users need to know these obstacles and prepare for them accordingly, before they affect the entire process. Below are the commonly faced challenges with the piecemeal restore in SQL Server process.

The method is most certainly complex, and it has multiple phases of restoration. In case the user doesn’t follow the correct order, it can lead to the database stuck in RESTORING Mode or further database restore failures.
Another issue with the method is that if the database log backup is missing, it might end up breaking the restore process.
Next, in this process, if the filegroup structure isn’t right, it can limit the efficiency of the process.
The major issue with this restoration process is that it heavily relies on the database backup files. In case these files are corrupted or missing, it becomes much more complex for the users to carry out the entire process.

With such issues during the process, it becomes much more complex for the users to restore their databases or continue with their tasks. Let’s now take a look at the method to resolve this issue in a much more convenient and effective way.

Repair Backup File Issue For Smoother Piecemeal Restore in SQL Server

As we discussed earlier, the major concern with this restoration process is its dependency on the database backup files. Now, to resolve that, it is efficient to use a reliable and dedicated SQL Backup Recovery Tool, like the one by SysTools. This software includes smart features that help users fix file corruption and further proceed with SQL Server Piecemeal Restore effortlessly.

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Here are the steps on how to run the tool easily:

Install and launch the suggested software. Click on the Open button to add the affected .bak file.
After scanning the .bak file, preview the recovered files.
Next, click on Export Button to save the restored files.
Choose the database objects and files that you wish to recover.
Click Export for a successful piecemeal restore.

With the help of these steps, users can recover the corrupted or damaged .bak file in the database and further proceed with the piecemeal restore process in the database.

Conclusion

With the help of this write-up, we have learned about Piecemeal Restore in SQL Server. Additionally, we discussed its importance and the use case scenarios where this mode of restoration is helpful. Along with this, we discussed the implementation and execution of this method and how some of the factors were challenging during the process. With the help of this article, users can also resolve the possible challenges of the process.