SQL Server: Database stuck in “Restoring” state

Question

I backed up a database:

BACKUP DATABASE MyDatabase
TO DISK = \'MyDatabase.bak\'
WITH INIT --overwrite existing

And then tried to restore it

Answer 1

By default, every RESTORE DATABASE comes with RECOVERY set up. The 'NORECOVERY' options, basically tells the SQL Server that the database is waiting for more restore files (could be a DIFF file and LOG file and, could include tail-log backup file, if possible). The 'RECOVERY' options, finish all transactions and let the database ready to perform transactions.

So:

1. if your database is set up with SIMPLE recovery model, you can only perform a FULL restore with NORECOVERY option, when you have a DIFF backup. No LOG backup are allowed in SIMPLE recovery model database.
2. Otherwise, if your database is set up with FULL or BULK-LOGGED recovery model, you can perform a FULL restore followed by NORECOVERYoption, then perform a DIFF followed by NORECOVERY, and, at last, perform LOG restore with RECOVERY option.

Remember, THE LAST RESTORE QUERY MUST HAVE RECOVERY OPTION. It could be an explicit way or not. In therms of T-SQL, the situation:

1.

 USE [master]
    GO
    RESTORE DATABASE Database_name 
    FROM DISK = N'\\path_of_backup_file.bak WITH FILE = 1, [REPLACE],NOUNLOAD, 
    RECOVERY -- This option could be omitted.
    GO

WITH REPLACE option must be used with caution as it can lead to data loss

Or, if you perform a FULL and DIFF backup, you can use this

   USE [master]
    GO
    RESTORE DATABASE Database_name
      FROM DISK = N'\\path_of_backup_file.bak' WITH FILE = 1, 
       NOUNLOAD,NORECOVERY
    GO
    RESTORE DATABASE Database_name
      FROM DISK =N'\\path_of_**diff**backup_file.bak' WITH FILE = 1, 
     NOUNLOAD, RECOVERY
    GO

 2. USE [master]
    GO
   -- Perform a Tail-Log backup, if possible. 
   BACKUP LOG Database_name
   GO
   -- Restoring a FULL backup
   RESTORE DATABASE Database_name
    FROM DISK = N'\\path_of_backup_file.bak' WITH FILE = 1, 
     NOUNLOAD,NORECOVERY
  GO 
  -- Restore the last DIFF backup
  RESTORE DATABASE Database_name
    FROM DISK = N'\\path_of_DIFF_backup_file.bak' WITH FILE = 1,
     NORECOVERY,NOUNLOAD
  GO
  -- Restore a Log backup
  RESTORE LOG Database_name
    FROM DISK = N'path_of_LOG_backup_file.trn' WITH FILE = 2,
    RECOVERY, NOUNLOAD
  GO

Of course, you can perform a restore with the option STATS = 10 that tells the SQL Server to report every 10% completed.

If you prefer, you can observe the process or restore in real-time based query. As follow:

USE[master]
GO
SELECT session_id AS SPID, command, a.text AS Query, start_time, percent_complete, dateadd(second,estimated_completion_time/1000, getdate()) as estimated_completion_time 
    FROM sys.dm_exec_requests r CROSS APPLY sys.dm_exec_sql_text(r.sql_handle) a 
        WHERE r.command in ('BACKUP DATABASE','RESTORE DATABASE')
GO

Hope this help.