Knowledge Base

Cannot backup a database when full-text catalogs are not online

Category: Troubleshooting & error messages
Date: 18 Nov 2008
Product: SQL Backup
Versions: 4,5
Platforms: Microsoft SQL Server 2005,2008

When performing a full backup of a SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2008 database, one of the following error messages may be generated by SQL Backup:

SQL Error 3007: The backup of the file or filegroup "sysft_FTX_MyDatabase" is not permitted because it is not online.
SQL error 9987: The backup of full-text catalog 'MyCatalog' is not permitted because it is not online.

This can happen in SQL Server 2005 when there is a problem with the full-text catalogs in the database being backed up. Since full-text catalogs in SQL Server 2005 are contained in their own 'special' filegroups, any problems in the full-text catalog manifest themselves as filegroup issues.

In the case of error 3007, you may want to open the database in Management Studio, open the 'storage' container and examine the state of the Full-Text catalogs. If there are problems, correct them. For instance, rebuilding the catalog may correct the problem.

To correct error 9987, normally this is a matter of simply enabling the full-text indexing in the database properties sheet of Management Studio, or using the sp_fulltext_database enable stored procedure in a query window.

Once the full-text index is in a usable state, SQL Server will consider the full-text catalog's filegroup as 'online' and a full backup of the database can be taken.

For more information regarding the steps necessary to repair the full-text catalogs, please see Microsoft's website:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923355/en-us