I have a SQL Server database that backs up the transaction logs every 10 minutes, with an overnight full backup.
Using SQL 2008 Management studio we seem to have to select each transaction log one by one. Is there any way to point it at a directory?
I am considering running a differential backup several times a day, which may offset some of this, but going one by one through dozens/hundreds of files seems to be pretty time consuming. Writing code to try to script it seems far too off topic from our core competencies.
If SQL Server Management Studio does not have a faster way, perhaps there is a third party tool available?
There is no ways to specify bunch of transaction log backups (oк folder) to restore in SQL Server Management studio.
But you can find all information about SQL Server backup operations in database MSDB (table backupset and related).
Here is script to generate SQL Server commands for restore database from backup and applying all transaction logs backups performed from last full database backup. I think it should help you.
Here is an example on how you can auto generate SQL Server restore script from backup files in a directory using TSQL:
Auto generate SQL Server restore script from backup files in a directory
Auto generate SQL Server database restore scripts
you just need a list of sql statements like...
So you can make a VB script which easily generates this SQL for you from a given folder. Here is an example http://blogs.lessthandot.com/index.php/DataMgmt/DBAdmin/MSSQLServerAdmin/restoring-multiple-transaction-log-backu
Once it has created the SQL you just need to check that it looks right and run it.
I didn't want to use the SQL based approach of the accepted answer, because I didn't want to enable extended stored procedures. So I wrote a powershell script to do it.
You point it at a folder, and it generates a script based on the most recent full backup, and all subsequent transaction log backups.
This one is way better, use std store pro. described by Wecks : https://www.sqlservercentral.com/forums/topic/automation-of-tlog-shipping