Is Point in time recovery the same in all versions of SQL Server 2005?

Hello everyone,

Our company will be using SQL Server 2005 Enterprise on our main server and either SQL Server Express or workgroup for our disconnected users. Our users will be syncing their local database with the main server using replication.

The question that was brought up is about the PIT recovery in SQL Server Express and workgroup. Please correct me if I am wrong. From what I understood, Point in time recovery is the same in both the Express and the WG editions. The database restores the full backup then incremental backups (if any) then the transactional logs. The only exception is that WG edition supports log shipping. Am I right?

I also watch one of the sql server 2005 webcasts series that talked about the online piecemeal recovery. From my understanding, online restore feature is an enterprise edition feature which allows the server to restore backup and logs, server goes online then roll back uncommited transactions. My question is if we are to use Express or WG, can we restore filegroups or pages (offline)? In another word, can we restore specific tables to point in time instead of the whole database.

Thanks a lot.

Point in time recovery is the same in all versions of sql2005.

Minor point: we do not support incremental backup. I'm sure you are refering to differential backups.

As far as I know, log shipping is only supported by the enterprise edition. That refers to our automatic tools to setup and maintain the log shipping.

The underlying engine supports log shipping in all versions, but you'd have to "roll your own" automated procedures.

Regarding piecemeal restore: we only support online restore in the enterprise edition. File/fileGroup/Page restore is offline in all other editions.

It is not possible to restore filegroups (and the tables they contain) to different points in time. The only way to perform a table restore:

- perform a partial restore to a working database. Just restore the filegroups containing the tables of interest.

- then export the tables (or sets of rows) of interest and merge them back into your online database. It is possible that referential integrity constraints will require more work than just inserting the rows of interest (you may have to delete/update other tables to maintain consistency).

Hope that helps.