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An LDF file is a log file created by SQL Server, a relational database management system (RDBMS) developed by Microsoft. It contains a log of recent actions executed by the database and is used to track events so that the database can recover from hardware failures or other unexpected shutdowns.
The mdf and ldf can be set for each Microsoft SQL database, by right-clicking on the database, in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and selecting Properties. In the Database Properties Select Files. In this window, the current settings for the mdf and ldf are displayed.
1. MDF is the primary data file for MSSQL. The LDF, on the other hand, is a supporting file and is characterized as a server transaction log file. 2. MDF contains all the vital and necessary information in databases while the LDF contains all the actions which include transactions and changes made in the MDF file.
You should not delete any of the database files since it can severely damage your database! If you run out of disk space you might want to split your database in multiple parts. This can be done in the database's properties. So you are able to put each part of the database to a different storage volume.
LDF holds the transaction log. If you set your backups correctly - it will be small. It it grows - you have a very common problem of setting database recovery mode to FULL and then forgetting to backup the transaction log (LDF file). Let me explain how to fix it.
Some would suggest to use SHRINKFILE to trim you log. Note that this is OK only as an exception. If you do it regularly, it defeats the purpose of FULL recovery model: first you go into trouble of saving every single change in the log, then you just dump it. Set recovery mode to SIMPLE instead.
The LDF file holds the database transaction log. See, for example, http://www.databasedesign-resource.com/sql-server-transaction-log.html for a full explanation. There are ways to shrink the transaction file; for example, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/873235.
The LDF is the transaction log. It keeps a record of everything done to the database for rollback purposes.
You do not want to delete, but you can shrink it with the dbcc shrinkfile command. You can also right-click on the database in SQL Server Management Studio and go to Tasks > Shrink.
ldf saves the log of the db, certainly doesn't saves any real data, but is very important for the proper function of the database.
You can however change the log model to the database to simple so this log does not grow too fast.
Check this for example.
Check here for reference.
The LDF stand for 'Log database file' and it is the transaction log. It keeps a record of everything done to the database for rollback purposes, you can restore a database even you lost .msf file because it contain all control information plus transaction information .
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