I managed to find the information here.
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;272318

Backed up the log with TRUNCATE _ONLY and then ran DBCC SHRINKFILE.

Worked like a charm.


"Fred" <Fred@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:41846b36@duster.adelaide.on.net...
> Thank you, starting to make sense now.
>
> I just did a transaction log backup but unfortunately the Log.LDF is
still
> 30GB. I was hoping that it would be extremely small now.
>
> I am assuming that the Log.LDF has all my transactions going back for the
> last two months since the databse was created. Is there some method for me
> to reduce this file to say on the last couple days of transactions?
>
> Why would SQL not have the option for this huge transaction log to be
wiped
> when I did the full database backup. Am I missing somethting here on the
log
> files purpose?
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
> "Greg D. Moore (Strider)" <mooregr_deleteth1s@greenms.com> wrote in
message
> news:qCZgd.341053$bp1.260186@twister.nyroc.rr.com. ..
> >
> > "Fred" <Fred@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:418462d8$1@duster.adelaide.on.net...
> > > I have a table in sql 2000 that is storing Financial Tick data. The
> > database
> > > size now appears at about 30GB and I have decided to backup the
database
> > and
> > > store the data offsite.
> > >
> > > Here is where I am confused about whether only a Database (complete)
> > backup
> > > is necessary or whether I must also include a Transaction log backup
for
> > the
> > > most recent data.
> >
> > The Full will only be complete up through any committed transaction at
the
> > time of its finish.
> >
> > Now, if you do a full once a day (say at 1:00 AM), you can restore to
that
> > point.
> >
> > But let's say your DB crashes at 11:00 PM. You've lost 22 hours worth
of
> > transactions.
> >
> > If you do a transaction backup say every hour, you could restore up
> through
> > the 10:00 PM log and lose less data.
> >
> > >
> > > 1. If I use a complete Database backup only, will all my data be
stored
> on
> > > this? (Even if I have never done a Transaction log backup)
> >
> > See above.
> >
> > >
> > > 2. My Database size Data.MDF is 500MB and the Log.LDF is 30GB. If I
> > complete
> > > a database Backup can I now get rid of this Log file, or is it also
> > storing
> > > data that is necessary???? I noticed on Books online that it states
> > > following a log file backup that it truncates the inactive portion of
> the
> > > transaction log, which would hopefully decrease this enormous log file
> > size.
> >
> > Right.
> >
> > You have a couple of options here.
> >
> > If you don't care about transaction log backups (i.e. do the "restore
once
> a
> > day, don't care if I lose lots of data") then set the DB to simple
> recovery
> > mode.
> >
> > However, generally you DO care about transaction log backups, which
means
> > you should do them.
> >
> > In that case your log will generally stay much smaller and you can then
> > shrink it to a reasonable size.
> >
> > Hope that helps some.
> >
> >
> > >
> > > Thank you for your help
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>