Creating a New Media Set

To create a new media set, you must format the backup media (one or more tapes or disk files). The formatting process changes the backup media as follows:

1. Deletes the old header (if any), effectively deleting the previous contents of the backup media.

   Formatting a tape device deletes all previous contents of the currently mounted tape. Formatting a disk affects only the file that you specify for the backup operation

2. Writes a new media header on the backup media (tape or disk file) on each of the backup devices.

To create a new media set by using Transact-SQL

• BACKUP (Transact-SQL)

  To create a new media set, use the FORMAT option of the BACKUP statement.

• How to: Create a Full Database Backup (Transact-SQL)

• How to: Create a Differential Database Backup (Transact-SQL)

• How to: Create a Transaction Log Backup (Transact-SQL)

To create a new media set by using SQL Server Management Studio

To create a new media set, erasing any existing media header and backup sets, select Back up to a new media set, and erase all existing backup sets on the Options page of the Back Up Database dialog box.

• How to: Back Up a Database (SQL Server Management Studio)

• How to: Back Up a Transaction Log (SQL Server Management Studio)

• How to: Create a Differential Database Backup (SQL Server Management Studio)

To create a new media set by using SQL Server Management Objects (SMO)

• FormatMedia (SMO)