If you don't want to maintain a periodic log backup, you can make your life simplier if you set the database to the Simple recovery model.

BUT - if this is a production database, I STRONGLY recommend that you do periodic log backups.

-Mike

>Bernard,
>
>Thanks for clarifying the backup process.
>
>I have successfully (no errors) run:
>
>backup log mydatabase with TRUNCATE_ONLY
>
>but it returns immediately on a 10 gigabyte log file, and hasn't reduced the size according to the properties of the database.
>
>Any notions on this?
>
>>Hi Terry:
>>
>>Your command will just truncate the transaction log. Basically, this will only free up space used by the log for committed transactions, and does not perform a backup. If that is your purpose (truncating the log), you do not need to specify the backup device. You can run...
>>
>>BACKUP LOG mydatabase WITH TRUNCATE_ONLY
>>
>>If you want to back up the transaction log, you should not specify TRUNCATE_ONLY. Basically, the statement may look something like
>>
>>BACKUP LOG mydatabase TO mydatalog
>>
>>Before you run this, make sure the backup device mydatalog already exists. If not, create it using the system stored procedure SP_ADDUMPDEVICE. You need to create it only once. Your error message suggests mydatalog is still not created.
>>
>>Hope this helps...
>>
>>>Besides the maintenance plan wizard which I've put into action, how with query do I >execute a backup of log?
>>
>>>I try:
>>
>>>backup log mydatabase to mydatalog with TRUNCATE_ONLY
>>
>>>but it doesn't like the mydatalog part.
>>
>>>something about sysdevices does not recognize the mydatalog.