Shrinking the Transaction Log The size of the log files are
physically reduced when: - A DBCC SHRINKDATABASE statement is
executed. - A DBCC SHRINKFILE statement referencing a log file
is executed. - An autoshrink operation occurs. Shrinking a log
is dependent on first truncating the log. Log truncation does
not reduce the size of a physical log file, it reduces the size
of the logical log and marks as inactive the virtual logs that
do not hold any part of the logical log. A log shrink operation
removes enough inactive virtual logs to reduce the log file to
the requested size. The unit of size reduction is a virtual log.
For example, if you have a 600 MB log file that has been divided
into six 100 MB virtual logs, the size of the log file can only
be reduced in 100 MB increments. The file size can be reduced to
sizes such as 500 MB or 400 MB, but it cannot be reduced to
sizes such as 433 MB or 525 MB. Virtual logs that hold part of
the logical log cannot be freed. If all the virtual logs in a
log file hold pa