full backup and tran log backup

Hi:

I have 30 databases on sql server 2005 that I need to do a full backup every morning at 7:00 and tran log backup every 30 minutes until 7:00 PM. If I create a maintenance plan for a backup using the wizard I have the option of starting a full backup at 7 am and then an option of doing tran log backups every hour using a different schedule. I plan on selecting the option to create a different folder for every database. I just need to confirm that in this way the way to restore the data would be

1. to restore a full backup

2. apply all the tran logs depending on the time they want to recover back to.

I just think this is the easiest approach to have 30 databases on the same backup scheme instead of creating a separate backup device for each database and doing a full backup on that device and appending all tran logs to that device which means just 1 bak file versus the above strategy with a number of tran log files. Please advise.

Thanks

Correct...you restore your last full backup and then apply all the logs in order since your last full backup.

With the options you selected, you will have separate backup files for each database and each backup of that database. I kind of lost you on the separate backup device and appending everything to that device. You certainly have a lot of options and different routes you could take other than just those two. And even more options if you want to script your own and get away from maintenance plans. But your general approach is fine. Devices, folders, naming etc should be what you are comfortable with. Backup locations should be what will provide you integrity, stability with the backups. Frequency of the backups depends on the business recovery needs.

-Sue