BUG: Transaction Log Backup Possible After the Addition or Removal of Database Files (257857)

SYMPTOMS

According to the "Creating and Applying Transaction Log Backups" topic in SQL Server 7.0 Books Online, after a database file is added or removed from the database, you should perform a full database backup instead of a transaction log backup.

Because the information about the change in the database file structure is not included in the transaction log, this process breaks an existing sequence of transaction log backups. You need to perform a new full database backup to start a new sequence of transaction log backups.

However, even though this is recommended in SQL Server Books Online, SQL Server does not enforce this behavior but permits you to perform an apparently valid transaction log backup at that time without giving a warning that the backup sequence is broken.

If such an invalid backup is made and then an attempt to restore it is made later, the attempt to restore this transaction log fails with the following message:

Server: Msg 3155, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
The RESTORE operation cannot proceed because one or more files have been added or dropped from the database since the backup set was created.

Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
Backup or restore operation terminating abnormally.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce the Problem

Use the following steps to reproduce the problem:

Use the following statements to create a database and begin a backup series:

create database test
go
backup database test to disk='c:\test_dump.bak' with INIT
go

Use the following statement to add an additional file to the database:

ALTER DATABASE test
   ADD FILE 
   (NAME = Testalt,
   FILENAME = 'c:\testalt.ndf',
   SIZE = 1MB,
   MAXSIZE = 5MB,
   FILEGROWTH = 1MB)
GO

Use the following statements to continue the backup chain:
```
backup log test to disk='c:\test_dump.bak' with noinit
go
```

Use the following statement to attempt to restore the backups into a new database named testrestore:

RESTORE DATABASE testrestore
   FROM disk='c:\test_dump.bak'
   WITH NORECOVERY, 
   MOVE 'test' TO 'c:\testrestore.mdf', 
   MOVE 'test_log' TO 'c:\testrestore.ldf'
RESTORE LOG testrestore
   FROM disk='c:\test_dump.bak'
   WITH NORECOVERY,FILE = 2

At this point, you receive the following error message:

Server: Msg 3155, Level 16, State 1, Line 6
The RESTORE operation cannot proceed because one or more files have been added or dropped from the database since the backup set was created.

Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 6
Backup or restore operation terminating abnormally.