I've got two SQL Servers, one of these servers (Server A) is backing up transaction logs on some database and uploading them to the other (Server B). Unfortunately I have no access to Server A, I simply have to trust that it is doing its job of periodically uploading its transaction logs to Server B.
Now, suppose Server B needs to recover the database for whatever reason. Doing this will break its ability to receive further transaction log backups.
Is there any way to copy/branch/backup the restoring database, so I can have one version of it that will continue to apply the transaction logs, and one version that will be recovered for reading/writing?
Unfortunately you can't use snapshot to bring a log-shipping backup instance online. You might be able to do it if the data resides on a san where you can force a fast lun copy and then mount a second copy of it real quick. Even without a SAN you can basically, between log loads or while you let them stack up for a bit, offline the DB, copy the files, and then bring up the copied version. Ugly but it gets the job done.
If you can get both DBs involved up to 2012 then I'd recommend you read up on AlwaysOn Availability Groups. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh510230.aspx They are cool because you can leave the second copy online in read-only mode while it is mirroring, all the time. Thus the stupid, almost repetitive, name for what should have been called something simple like "Live Mirroring".
Also, questions like this might better be asked on one of the sister sites like http://ServerFault.com or https://dba.stackexchange.com/