Microsoft® SQL Server 2008 R2 Unleashed

Transaction Log Files

A transaction is a mechanism for grouping a series of database changes into one logical operation. SQL Server keeps track of each transaction in a file called the transaction log. This log file usually has the extension .ldf, but it can have a different extension. Typically, there is only one log file. You can specify multiple log files, but these files are accessed sequentially. If multiple files are used, SQL Server fills one file before moving to the next. You realize no performance benefit by using multiple files, but you can use them to extend the size of the log.

Note

The transaction log file is not a text file that can be read by opening the file in a text editor. The file is proprietary, and you cannot easily view ...