What is the best practice on setting up the SQL database for DotNetNuke?  I have noticed that my SQL log files have grown to over 1 gigabyte in size, even though the actual database MDF is very small. 

I have tried limiting the growth of log files, but that causes the website to crash.  I have tried shrinking the database, but that doesn't do anything about the log files.  How are some of you guys maintaining your log files?  Is the best practice detaching the database, deleting the log file, and then reattaching the database?  I would like to automate the process if possible.

in sql server there are 2 files, the mdf which contains data, and the ldf which contains the logs. Logging can have 3 forms, simple (where the log only holds enough information for the current transaction and is typically very small), bulk (where actions such as bulk loads are logged as a single entry rather than an entry for each piece of data - this means that if you do a lot of loads via bcp or DTS/SSIS the log file still grows but not as quickly) or full (this is the default - all actions are logged, making this the best [you can restore to point in time etc.], but the largest). Log files grow and grow as needed so can get very large, and need to be controlled. To shrink a log file down, a "checkpoint" needs to be hit i.e. the database has to ensure transactional integrity. The "best" way to do this is to do a full database backup, that will ensure that you have a backup, perform a checkpoint and then delete the contents of the log. Typically I would recommend that you schedule nightly backups, that will keep everything in order.

Cathal