Deleting SQL Server backups

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You can remove an SQL Server backup that you created with the VSS backup method. Complete this task only if necessary.

Before you begin

Typically, backups are deleted automatically based on user-defined policy management settings. This procedure is necessary only if you need to delete backups that are outside the scope of Data Protection for SQL Server policy definitions.

If you delete a remotely-mounted backup, the snapshots and the relationship between the source and target volumes on the storage device are also deleted. However, the target volume that is imported and mounted might continue to exist. In addition, the target volume might not be available to the server where the remote mount occurred. The operations to the target volume depend on the VSS hardware provider and the storage device implementation.

After the maximum number of remotely-mounted backup versions or the maximum number of days to retain a backup is exceeded, the associated backup is expired and deleted.

Procedure

  1. Start Microsoft™ Management Console (MMC).
  2. Click Recover Data > SQL in the Management window.
  3. On the Recover tab for the SQL Server instance, select View: Database Restore. In the results pane, browse to and select one or more database backups to delete.
    The corresponding node type, for example, DP or AlwaysOn, must also be selected.
  4. In the Actions pane, click Delete backup.
    When a backup is deleted, two tasks display in the task window to show you that the deletion is in progress, and that the view is being refreshed.