In the past, I have written about attaching data files to a SQL Server instance when log files are missing by the use of the FOR ATTACH_REBUILD_LOG clause of the CREATE DATABASE statement. Recently, I was referring the CREATE DATABASE documentation on MSDN. It’s a comprehensive document and and the following line for read-only databases caught my attention.

For a read-only database, the log cannot be rebuilt because the primary file cannot be updated. Therefore, when you attach a read-only database with a log that is unavailable, you must provide the log files, or the files in the FOR ATTACH clause.

This statement was contrary to what I had observed before. Hence, I decided to re-validate the findings via a demo.

The first step, of course is to create a database.

USE [master];
GO
CREATE DATABASE ReadOnlyDBForAttach
ON PRIMARY (NAME = ReadOnlyDBForAttach_Data,
            FILENAME='C:\SQLData\MSSQL12.SQL2014\MSSQL\DATA\ReadOnlyDBForAttach_Data.mdf'),
   FILEGROUP RODefault (NAME = ReadOnlyDBForAttach_RODefault,
              FILENAME='C:\SQLData\MSSQL12.SQL2014\MSSQL\DATA\ReadOnlyDBForAttach_RODefault.mdf')
LOG ON (NAME = ReadOnlyDBForAttach_Log,
        FILENAME='C:\SQLData\MSSQL12.SQL2014\MSSQL\DATA\ReadOnlyDBForAttach_Log.ldf');
GO

As can be seen from the script referenced above, the database we created as 2 data file groups, one is the default PRIMARY filegroup. Because we cannot make the PRIMARY filegroup READ_ONLY, we will be making the other filegroup (RODefault) READ_ONLY. To add complexity, we will also make it the default filegroup, i.e. any new objects created without specifying a filegroup, it will be created in the filegroup marked as default.

Finally, we will also mark the database as READ_ONLY.

USE [master];
GO
ALTER DATABASE ReadOnlyDBForAttach
MODIFY FILEGROUP [RODefault] DEFAULT;
GO

ALTER DATABASE ReadOnlyDBForAttach
MODIFY FILEGROUP [RODefault] READ_ONLY;
GO

ALTER DATABASE ReadOnlyDBForAttach SET READ_ONLY;
GO

Now, let us check out the database and filegroup properties.

USE ReadOnlyDBForAttach;
GO
SELECT 'Database Properties',
       sd.[name],
       sd.is_read_only,
       sd.is_cleanly_shutdown
FROM sys.databases AS sd
WHERE sd.[name] = 'ReadOnlyDBForAttach';

SELECT 'File properties',
       sdf.file_id,
       sdf.type,
       sdf.data_space_id,
       sdf.type_desc,
       sdf.name,
       sdf.is_read_only,
       sdf.is_media_read_only
FROM sys.database_files AS sdf;
GO

Read Only database and database file properties

Now, let us detach the database, and delete the log file. (NOTE: We are removing the log file for the purposes of this demo only. Please do not do this in your QA or production environments).

USE [master];
GO
EXEC sp_detach_db @dbname = 'ReadOnlyDBForAttach';
GO

Read Only Database – Log File Removed

Finally, let us attach the database back to the SQL Server instance using the CREATE DATABASE…FOR ATTACH_REBUILD_LOG clause.

USE [master]
GO
CREATE DATABASE [ReadOnlyDBForAttach]
ON  PRIMARY ( NAME = N'ReadOnlyDBForAttach_Data',
                FILENAME = N'C:\SQLData\MSSQL12.SQL2014\MSSQL\DATA\ReadOnlyDBForAttach_Data.mdf')
FOR ATTACH_REBUILD_LOG
GO

File activation failure. The physical file name "C:\SQLData\MSSQL12.SQL2014\MSSQL\DATA\ReadOnlyDBForAttach_Log.ldf" may be incorrect.
New log file 'C:\SQLData\MSSQL12.SQL2014\MSSQL\DATA\ReadOnlyDBForAttach_log.ldf' was created.

As can be seen from the message above, the log file was successfully created and the database was successfully attached to the SQL Server instance.

Let us cross-check the database and file properties again:

USE ReadOnlyDBForAttach;
GO
SELECT 'Database Properties',
       sd.[name],
       sd.is_read_only,
       sd.is_cleanly_shutdown
FROM sys.databases AS sd
WHERE sd.[name] = 'ReadOnlyDBForAttach';

SELECT 'File properties',
       sdf.file_id,
       sdf.type,
       sdf.data_space_id,
       sdf.type_desc,
       sdf.name,
       sdf.is_read_only,
       sdf.is_media_read_only
FROM sys.database_files AS sdf;
GO

Read Only Database and Data File Properties After Attach

Conclusion

• Contrary to the MSDN remark, a read-only database can be successfully attached to a SQL Server instance even when the log file does not exist by the use of CREATE DATABASE…FOR ATTACH_REBUILD_LOG
• A read-only database becomes a read/write database if it has been attached to the SQL Server using FOR ATTACH_REBUILD_LOG and the log file was rebuilt

My findings above do not agree with the MSDN remark. At the moment, I am inclined to believe that this is a bug in the documentation as I have found a couple of years ago as well (see references). Please do share your views on the same in the post comments.

References/Further Reading

• SQL Server Myth: Log files are removed when a database is made READ_ONLY [Link]
• Creating a database without the log backup file – Error Msg. 5120 [Link]
• CREATE DATABASE…ATTACH_REBUILD_LOG resets database recovery mode to SIMPLE [Link]
• Setting database to READ_ONLY does not change the file-group properties [Link]
• sp_attach_db v/s CREATE DATABASE FOR ATTACH – Number of files limitation; Msg. 8144 (Procedure has too many arguments specified) [Link]
• CREATE DATABASE [MSDN Documentation]

Until we meet next time,
Be courteous. Drive responsibly.