You can retrieve information about the files contained in the actual backup file or
tape, get general information about the database within the backup file, or check the
backup file/tape for potential errors.
Information Contained in the Backup File
One of the most important items to remember is that the primary backup file (.mdf)
retains information about the structure and state of the original database. Why is this
important? If you??™re simply restoring over an existing database with a regularly created
backup, it??™s unlikely that you??™ll run into any problems. However, if you??™re restoring to a
new location or a new server where the original location doesn??™t exist (perhaps the new
data drive letter is E instead of D), the RESTORE commands will become much more complicated.
Luckily, the RESTORE HEADERONLY, RESTORE FILELISTONLY, RESTORE LABELONLY, and
RESTORE VERIFYONLY commands give you a great deal of information about the backup
file itself.
RESTORE HEADERONLY
The amount of information contained in the backup header is staggering. More important,
the file header information has ???hooks??? to tables within the MSDB database.
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