What to do When database is in Recovery Pending?

The database recovery pending status is a crucial stage when it comes to the functioning of the database. If left unattended for a long, the database may get corrupted.

So, what to do when database is in recovery pending? Often, even with prompt actions, there are chances that you may not be able to revert to normal functioning again without assistance from experts.

However, if you follow some best practices and take precautions, you can reduce the risk of your databases getting into this unworkable state.

When you perform any database operation, such as recovery or database copy, there is a possibility of failure. In such a case, the database enters the unrecoverable state and goes into ‘recovery pending.’ The DB engine can go into recovery pending if any one of the below conditions is met:

The database enters the ‘Recovery Pending’ state when these conditions occur. Let’s see how to fix recovery pending state in SQL server database. This post will look at various troubleshooting tips for resolving Database recovery pending issue via manual methods and Stellar SQL database recovery software.

What is the reason for a SQL Server recovery pending state?

There are a few possibilities for why your database is stuck in recovery pending state.

• Unexpected power outage.

If data was being written to a row at the time of the power outage, the database could be in a recovery state. If data is practically written and then interrupted, this sudden loss of connectivity can cause database issues.

• Failure of hardware.

This, like a power outage, results in an improper shutdown of the live database, leaving queries and modifications in a broken, half-completed state.

• Memory lapse.

SQL servers can operate on limited memory by using caching and buffer pools. However, if memory resources are overstressed, it can cause problems in the database file and result in a ‘recovery pending’ error.

• Log file corruption.

Pending recovery states is frequently caused by log file corruption. Unexpected shutdowns, faulty memory, and insufficient storage space can all cause problems with the transaction log file, resulting in a pending state.

Various States of the Database to Know About

A database can be in a number of different states. Heavily damaged databases are typically found in a variety of inconsistent states, with the database’s primary files unable to function.

Even if your SQL database is in a ‘recovery pending’ state, you should be aware of the other states in case they change during the repair process. A database’s primary states are as follows:

• OFFLINE – When the Database is inaccessible and offline as a result of a user action. The database will be unavailable until it is manually restored.
• ONLINE – When the database’s normal healthy state and indicates that files are accessible to users.
• RECOVERING – When the database is currently being repaired. If successful, the database will be restored to an online state and made available. If this process fails, the database will revert to a suspect state and will be inaccessible.
• SUSPECT – When the database’s primary file group may have been damaged and could not be recovered during startup. As a result, the database is inaccessible.
• EMERGENCY – When set to an emergency, the database enters a single-user mode with read-only access and is only accessible to accounts with the sysadmin role. This state is mostly used for troubleshooting and manual recovery.
• RECOVERY PENDING – An error occurred during the recovery process on the server. Missing files or problems with system resources could be preventing the recovery from wrapping up. The database is inaccessible in this state.

How to Know the States of the SQL Database?

So, what to do when database is in recovery pending? Before trying anything, know the different states of the SQL Database for better understanding.

Run the following query to determine the current state of a SQL database:

SELECT name, state_desc from sys.databases

GO

When you execute the query, you should get something like this:

Quick Solutions for Fixing Database in Recovery Pending State

Here are some quick fixes to help you identify and resolve the problem’s source.

• Examine the memory and disk space on your SQL server.
• Perform hardware diagnostics: You can use hardware diagnostics to determine whether there is a problem with the server hardware or the storage drive that is causing the Recovery Pending state. You can also examine the application logs and SQL server error logs for any hardware flaws. If there are hardware issues with the server, you can resolve them by replacing the faulty component and resolving the pending recovery issue.
• Restore from a good backup: If you have a backup of the database and transaction logs, you can restore the data. This might assist you in resolving the Recovery pending state issue if it was caused by corrupt or inconsistent data.

How to fix Recovery Pending State in SQL Server Database?

There are a few things we can try to figure out and fix that are causing the recovery pending error. Before making any changes to the database, make a complete backup and move it to a different server.

Wondering how to fix recovery pending state in SQL server database, here are some undermentioned methods:

Perform a Forceful Repair

The following steps will put the database in an EMERGENCY state and force a repair command. If successful, the database will be made accessible, and the EMERGENCY mode will be automatically exited.

ALTER DATABASE [DBName] SET EMERGENCY;

GO

ALTER DATABASE [DBName] set single_user

GO

DBCC CHECKDB ([DBName], REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS) WITH ALL_ERRORMSGS;

GO

ALTER DATABASE [DBName] set multi_user

GO

Detach & Reattach the Main Database

The following method disconnects and then reconnects the database. This can assist in resolving pending SQL recovery issues as well as providing a clean log file if the current log is corrupted or inaccessible. If the previous steps did not work, try the following.

ALTER DATABASE [DBName] SET EMERGENCY;

ALTER DATABASE [DBName] set multi_user

EXEC sp_detach_db ‘[DBName]’

EXEC sp_attach_single_file_db @DBName = ‘[DBName]’, @physname = N'[mdf path]’

Use Stellar SQL Recovery Tool to Resolve Recovery Pending in SQL Database Issue

If the above-given methods failed to resolve the recovery pending in SQL server issue and your entire database objects are inaccessible. Then you can take the help of Stellar SQL database recovery software. With the help of this application, the user can preview and restore the database objects from SQL Server 2019 and its lower versions. The software can assist you in quickly and smoothly repairing corrupt database files and bringing the database back online from the recovery pending state.

Steps to Use This Software

• Stellar SQL Recovery Tool software should be downloaded, installed, and run.
• Click Browse or Search in the Select Database window to find the database file you want to repair.

• To scan the corrupt database, the software offers Standard Scan and Advanced Scan options.
• Scan a corrupt MDF file using the Standard scan option

• To begin the repair process, click Repair.
• The software displays a preview of all recoverable database components.

• Click Save on the File menu to save the repaired file and its components.
• Option to save the repaired SQL database

• Do the following from the Save Database window:
  • Under Save As, select MDF.
  • Under the Saving Option, choose New Database or Live Database.
  • In the Connect to Server section, enter the necessary information by Authentication or SQL Server Authentication.

• Click Browse to select a location to save the repaired file.

• Save the file.
• When the message box ‘Save Complete’ appears, click OK.

• The repaired file will be saved in the location you specify.

Stellar Repair for MS SQL’s Key Features

• Repairs damaged and inaccessible MS SQL Database (.mdf and.ndf) files.
• All database components, such as tables, keys, indexes, triggers, rules, and stored procedures, are recovered.
• Supports MS SQL Server 2019 and its below versions.

Wrapping it Up

This post outlined “What to do when database is in recovery pending”, such as the database not being properly shut down, database files (.mdf or.ndf) becoming corrupt, and a lack of memory or disk space. It also explained how to resolve the recovery pending state in SQL Server databases.

You can repair the database by putting it in emergency mode and starting the repair process or by detaching and reconnecting the database. However, such solutions have their own drawbacks:

• It can only fix minor database problems.
• It does not guarantee complete database recovery.
• It poses a data loss risk, as running the ‘REPAIR ALLOW DATA LOSS’ command can delete some data.

These constraints can be overcome by using Stellar Repair for MS SQL software. SQL Server users and database administrators (DBAs) can use the software to repair severe database corruption errors. It also ensures the complete recovery of database components while maintaining data integrity.