title: SQL Server Log File Confusion
body: <p>I'm looking for some clarity on the SQL Server log file.  I have a largish database (2GB) which lately wasn't backed up for whatever reason.  The log file for the database grew to around 11GB which from my understanding is all the transactions and statements that occurred in the database.</p>
  
  <p>My questions:</p>
  
  <p>What causes the database log file to be flushed?
  What does "flush" actually mean?
  What are the consequences of doing a file shrink or database shrink on a large log file?</p>