In a SQL Server log shipping configuration, copying transaction log backup files from the primary server to the standby or secondary server is considered part of the log shipping process. Is this statement correct?

Introduction / Context:
Log shipping is a well known feature in SQL Server used for disaster recovery and warm standby setups. It relies on transaction log backups to keep a secondary database in sync with a primary database. This question focuses on one specific step in that process: copying log backups from the primary server to the secondary server.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• There is a primary SQL Server database from which transaction log backups are taken.
• There is a secondary or standby SQL Server that receives these backups.
• The statement claims that copying the log backups to the standby server is part of log shipping.
• We assume familiarity with high level steps of log shipping.

Concept / Approach:
Log shipping consists of three main automated steps: backing up the transaction log on the primary database, copying the backup files to the secondary server, and restoring those backups on the secondary database. The copying step is essential because the secondary server cannot apply backups that it does not receive. Therefore, copying transaction log backup files across servers is clearly part of the log shipping mechanism.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the first step in log shipping is to back up the transaction log on the primary database at regular intervals. Step 2: Recognize that these backup files must be transferred to the secondary server, usually through a network share or another copy mechanism. Step 3: Understand that the secondary server has a job that restores the received log backups in sequence. Step 4: Observe that without the copy step, the secondary server could not be kept up to date, so the copying operation is integral to log shipping. Step 5: Conclude that the statement in the question is correct.

Verification / Alternative check:
In SQL Server Management Studio, when you configure log shipping, you typically set up three jobs: a backup job on the primary, a copy job on the secondary to copy files from a shared folder, and a restore job on the secondary. This configuration screen explicitly refers to the copy job as part of log shipping, confirming the correctness of the statement.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The statement is not correct; log shipping never involves copying log backups to another server is wrong because copying is a mandatory step. The statement is not correct; copying logs occurs only in replication, not in log shipping confuses replication, which uses different mechanisms, with log shipping. The statement is not correct; log shipping refers only to compressing log files on the primary server misrepresents log shipping as a storage optimization feature instead of a high availability feature. The statement is not correct; log shipping is a reporting feature unrelated to backup files ignores the central role of backups and restores in log shipping.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes mix up log shipping with other features such as transactional replication or database mirroring. The simple way to remember log shipping is as a scheduled cycle of backup, copy, and restore operations for transaction logs. Without copying, the cycle would be incomplete and the secondary database could not remain synchronized.

Final Answer:
The correct evaluation is that the statement is correct; copying transaction log backups to the secondary server is a core step in log shipping.