Assuming that you are referring to the MS-specific binary .bak DB backup
file format, I would be very surprised if MS releases those types of
details. It could/would prevent them from changing the format..

Even aside from this, generating a .bak file on the Unix side is
unlikely. There are potential big-endian, little-endian issues. You do
know that SQL Server runs only on Windows, yes?

Is there another DB on the unix side? Could you hook up to it as a
linked server w/ an OLE DB driver or something?

I would export in ascii delimited CSV format or something, and then
import into SQL server w/ the integration services import/export wizard.

hth

Allen Jantzen

jims wrote:
> Hi.
>
> I was wondering if anybody could piont me to a reference for the .bak
> file format.
>
> I need to upload a huge amount of data from a unix machine into an MS
> SQLServer database and have tried lots of different things with mixed
> results.
>
> I occurs to me that if I can generate a .bak file on the unix side,
> move it over to the MS side and 'restore' the database, that would
> probably be the fastest possible method.
>
> Thanks,
>
> -jim
>