I realise that an OS level lock is put on the data files themselves while they are in use, however I was wondering if there are any conditions in which a database is not offline/detached in which these files can be moved or deleted?
The reasoning behind this is whether it is a safe enough assumption to assume that you don't need to worry about deleting a live database at the file level due to the implied lock.
Thanks!
Answer by Rob Farley ·
You may find times when the files aren't locked, and I wouldn't consider it a safe assumption. I've never looked hard enough to find out when those times are, but I'm sure I've been able to touch those files occasionally.