How to handle a full SQL Server transaction log?

When the transaction log of SQL Server is full, several options can be taken for handling it:

1. Increase the size of the transaction log file: You can increase the capacity of the transaction log by increasing the size of the transaction log file. This can be done by modifying the transaction log file size property of the database in SQL Server Management Studio.
2. Increasing the number of transaction log files: The capacity of transaction logs can be increased by adding more transaction log files. This can be done by modifying the number of transaction log files property in the database settings of SQL Server Management Studio.
3. Backup transaction logs: You can free up transaction log space by backing up transaction logs. After the transaction log backup is complete, SQL Server will release space for transactions that have already been committed in the transaction log. You can use SQL Server Management Studio or T-SQL commands to backup transaction logs.
4. Reduce the transaction log file size: You can free up transaction log space by shrinking the transaction log file using SQL Server Management Studio or the ALTER DATABASE statement.
5. Modify the database recovery mode by adjusting how transaction logs are used. If the database is in full recovery mode, transaction logs will retain all transaction log information until a transaction log backup is performed. Changing the database recovery mode to simple recovery mode or bulk-logged recovery mode can reduce the space used by transaction logs.

It is important to be cautious when dealing with a full transaction log to ensure data integrity and security. Before taking any action, it is best to back up the database. Additionally, if the transaction log is full due to long-running transactions, it is necessary to examine and optimize the application’s transaction processing logic to reduce the duration of transactions.