November 7, 2002 at 7:25 am
I want to install SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition with all the installation binaries on a drive other than C:.
The reason is I want a Ghost Image of C: that does not contain any SQL Server files.
I went through the Typical and Custom installation and specified the E: for installation, but for each it always put some files on C:.
Each time it put a COM and TOOLS directory on C:
Is it possible to have all SQL Server installation files on the E:\ for example?
November 7, 2002 at 8:00 am
Sorry, there are some items that are not customized as far as installation path. And you cannot force them.
November 7, 2002 at 9:40 am
Yes.
I made a call to Microsoft on this today actually. They said that the COM and TOOLS directories have to go on the C: drive. These folders are shared files / tools that would be used by other Instances if installed. Thus it has to be a known directory structure.
I asked them about creating an unattended install script and editing the script to make the COM and TOOLS directories to go other that C: drive. They said that may work but will not be supported.
The reason I did not want any SQL Server installation files on C: drive was because we take Ghost Images of our C: drive and I wanted it to be free of SQL Server stuff.
November 7, 2002 at 10:19 am
on this topic.
If I lay down a Ghost Image from a month ago of just the C: drive - which had no .MDF or .LDF files, will any databases on the E:\ drive start up?
There will be a month missing of registry changes correct?
November 7, 2002 at 10:39 am
No, if the regirsty entries are not backedup regularly then you would not be able to get the server going immediately anyway.
November 7, 2002 at 11:02 am
What do you mean by immediately?
Will the engine even start then?
November 7, 2002 at 12:33 pm
Then enigne won't but a quick reinstall and moving the DBs back into proper position should be all you need. The registry has every detail needed to make the SQL server files work together and without those they are just data sitting on a drive.
November 7, 2002 at 1:13 pm
"moving the DBs back into proper position"
- what do you mean here? how is this done?
Also, does SQL Server write entries to the registry after it is installed?
November 7, 2002 at 1:18 pm
This is what I have done in the past. The DB files are on E:\ whatever. I rename the folder they are in and move folder to root of E:\.
Reinstall SQL 2000 and put the same service pack and patches you had on it. Make sure when you reinstall you set your data path to the master database the same as previous.
Shut down SQL, and swap all the files for before you reimaged the C:\ drive and reinstalled SQL, replacing tghe new ones created. If everything goes smooth no issues at all. Only thing I ever had was server name changed and I had to run the procedcures to correct this. Restart SQL as long as paths are same as orignal and master is in path that can be found by new install you should be up and running again.
November 7, 2002 at 1:35 pm
So any registry changes that SQL Server did after the ghost image will not be there now.
This is not a problem?
The registry and data files will be out of sync.
November 7, 2002 at 2:37 pm
I may have confused you here.
When you reinstall SQL you can safely move the data files into place. They do not care about the registry settings. SQL only requires the registry settings to be able to start up and run.
If still confused explain to me what you are thinking a bit.
November 7, 2002 at 3:26 pm
So data files do not care about registry settings at all?
Does SQL Server make changes to the registry as time goes on? (Thus backing up the registry it is a common task.)
November 7, 2002 at 3:49 pm
No data files do not make reference or have have references in the Registry. SQL does have a reference to master data and master log that is stored in the registry which you can set thru the server properties in EM with the startup parameters button on the default tab if I remember right. Then master contains the path reference to the individual databases PRIMARY filegroup (maybe the other data files filegroups but I don't believe so), the log files and their associated database names. Then the individual databases have references to all their files in sysfiles. The XP files are actually dll associations which is why the default location of those files you asked about first are that way. So you don't have any issues restoring the master db to a server.
November 7, 2002 at 4:10 pm
ok.
Scenario:
C drive - O.S. binaries and minimal sql server binaries(COM & TOOLS folders)
E drive - all data and log files.(master, user db's, etc)
---
Hardware failure that lost the C: drive. Are those oprhaned data & log files on E: still usable? If so, how?
Reinstall SQL Server, recreate all the databases(with the same settings, # of files as before), stop sql server, substitue in the data & log files that are still orphaned, start sql server?
Will this work?
Will SQL Server go through 'recovery' on all the DB's?
November 7, 2002 at 5:15 pm
quote:
Hardware failure that lost the C: drive. Are those oprhaned data & log files on E: still usable? If so, how?Reinstall SQL Server, recreate all the databases(with the same settings, # of files as before), stop sql server, substitue in the data & log files that are still orphaned, start sql server?
Will this work?
Will SQL Server go through 'recovery' on all the DB's?
Sorry, you don't have to recreate any of the old databases. Just reinstall SQL to the new image, make sure the path for install is the same as the old when install happens (customize your install path). Then stop server, drop the old master, model, msdb and all the dbs back to the newly installed folder over-writing the new system dbs. The paths to all the old databases are in the old master you just moved into place for SQL to see. Start SQL Server, all the settings, user accounts and attached dbs will recover. Test it somewhere. I have done this 3 or 4 times before.
Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply