How to resolve the issue of being unable to clear the transaction log in SQL Server?

In SQL Server, the transaction log can be cleaned up through methods like backing up the log, truncating the log, and compressing the log.

First, you can try backing up the log to clear the transaction log. Execute the following T-SQL command to perform a transaction log backup:

BACKUP LOG <database_name> TO DISK = '<backup_file_path>'

In this case, refers to the name of the database you want to backup logs from, while is the location where you want to store the backup file. After backing up the logs, SQL Server will truncate the transaction logs, thereby freeing up space in the log file.

If you are unable to clear the transaction log by backing it up, you can try truncating the transaction log. Execute the following T-SQL command to truncate the transaction log:

DBCC SHRINKFILE (<logical_log_file_name>, <target_size>)

The is the logical name of the transaction log file, and is the size you want to truncate it to. Please be aware that truncating the log may result in some transaction logs being lost, so it should be carefully considered before executing this operation.

If none of the above methods work, you can try compressing the transaction log. Use the following T-SQL command to compress the transaction log.

DBCC SHRINKFILE (<logical_log_file_name>, EMPTYFILE)

This will compress and clear the transaction log files. Please note that compressing transaction logs may result in some transaction log loss.

It is important to note that before performing any operation on the transaction log, it is advisable to backup the database first to prevent unexpected occurrences. Additionally, if you are unable to clear the transaction log, it may be due to issues such as the size limit of the transaction log file or incorrect database recovery mode settings. In this case, you may consider adjusting the relevant settings or increasing the size of the transaction log file. If the problem persists, it is recommended to seek assistance and guidance from a professional database administrator or the Microsoft support team for more detailed help.