July 12, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Alcon:
I am a LAN/WAN/desktop network engineer. The company I presently work for seems to think that database work falls under that scope.
Go ahead- I'll wait for the jeering, laughing, and thrown fruit to settle down...
OK, now that we have that out of our system: database is written in SQL 2008 with an Access frontend. They want to move it from the machine of the guy that put it together, to a production server. Said server is running SQL 2005.
Have I mentioned, I am NOT A DBA? They don't listen- want this done. I haven't clue 1 how to make it happen. I am a high-end shadetree howler monkey, though- give me directions, I'll get it done.
HELP!!
July 12, 2010 at 12:15 pm
There isn't an easy way to do that...A SQL 2008 database won't restore / attach to a SQL 2005 server. You would have to script the table structures, data, SPs, etc. out to get it moved most likely.
But before you bother...are you sure your developer didn't use any new SQL 2008 only features?
The Redneck DBA
July 12, 2010 at 12:24 pm
This is what I was afraid of- and no, I'm not sure what he used.
July 12, 2010 at 12:46 pm
A little late to suggest this now, since the damage is done, but your company should work to make the development environment mirror the production environment, and require developers to develop against the software that will be in live. That said, yeah, there isn't any way short of scripting and SSIS/BCP to transfer 2008 to 2005, and if there are any 2008-specific features (like, say, the DATE datatype) it will bomb without a rewrite of those features. Not much you can do.
July 12, 2010 at 1:21 pm
thing is, he's not a developer. He's just a guy that picked up some SQL in school and was able to use it to fit a requirement.
I am not a developer either- nor do I have any desire to become one. I spend quite enough time glued to the keyboard as it is!
July 12, 2010 at 2:22 pm
phil.cooper.2 (7/12/2010)
thing is, he's not a developer. He's just a guy that picked up some SQL in school and was able to use it to fit a requirement.I am not a developer either- nor do I have any desire to become one. I spend quite enough time glued to the keyboard as it is!
I know that it can be tough to say NO to the bosses, but it seems a really good idea here. What they are asking is outside your area of expertise, a task loaded with potential landmines, and if you do it, even if you can get it to work you'll have just nominated yourself as the guy that supports it.
July 12, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Is the person who wrote the database stuff still around?
If so, can/will this person answer this "simple" question: Is there anything SQL SERVER 2008 specific within either your database or your (possible) Pass-Through queries? (e.g. usage of date datatype instead of datetime, hierarchy or geodata type, procedures called with table variables as parameter, ... list to be continued).
As soon as one of the examples from above is answered with YES then either the app needs to be rewritten to match SS2K5 or you should decide to move it to a SS2K8 system.
What are the specific reasons for that fellow to use SS2K8?
My personal recommendation: Give that person a SS2K5 database on your test server and tell him to migrate the application.
There might be quite some time required to convert it if you wrote it.
There will definitely a rather large amount of time required for a person experienced in SQL programming.
It will take even longer for a SQL Server DBA.
And it will be almost impossible to do for a person that is considered being a DBA just because he/she spent most of the time in front of a keyboard.
If the company you work for cares about how efficient their staff does the required jobs, it shouldn't be considered to be your task...
July 12, 2010 at 2:29 pm
If the size of the database is small (< 4GB), and there are not a lot of users of the system, you can probably get this done by installing SQL Server 2008 Express Edition as a named instance on the production server.
This would require the least amount of work on your part - and no additional licensing costs (Express Edition is free). However, the Express Edition is limited by the database size and number of CPU's it can use. I would also recommend limiting the amount of memory available to the instance so it does not impact your other production systems.
If the database is larger than that, but less than 10GB - you might be able to use SQL Server 2008 R2 Express Edition. I am not sure, but I think the limit has been raised on this version.
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July 13, 2010 at 6:02 am
phil.cooper.2 (7/12/2010)
Alcon:I am a LAN/WAN/desktop network engineer. The company I presently work for seems to think that database work falls under that scope.
Go ahead- I'll wait for the jeering, laughing, and thrown fruit to settle down...
OK, now that we have that out of our system: database is written in SQL 2008 with an Access frontend. They want to move it from the machine of the guy that put it together, to a production server. Said server is running SQL 2005.
Have I mentioned, I am NOT A DBA? They don't listen- want this done. I haven't clue 1 how to make it happen. I am a high-end shadetree howler monkey, though- give me directions, I'll get it done.
HELP!!
Assuming that you didn't use an 2008 specific data structures or functions (big assumption), you should be able to migrate the system easily enough. My suggestion, get ahold of a sql comparison tool like Red Gate's SQL Compare or one of the others from different companies. You can use that to compare between the two disparate systems and move what can be moved pretty easily. Any data that needs to go can be moved using SQL Data Compare (or one of the others).
Now, helpful bit out of the way, I'm not going to laugh at the network engineer getting stuck with the DBA job, that happens, but I will laugh at the Access front-end. BWA-HA-HA-HA! Ah, I feel better.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
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July 13, 2010 at 6:09 am
Now, helpful bit out of the way, I'm not going to laugh at the network engineer getting stuck with the DBA job, that happens, but I will laugh at the Access front-end. BWA-HA-HA-HA! Ah, I feel better.
What do you have against an Access front end when all the objects / data is stored in SQL?
The Redneck DBA
July 13, 2010 at 6:16 am
Jason Shadonix (7/13/2010)
Now, helpful bit out of the way, I'm not going to laugh at the network engineer getting stuck with the DBA job, that happens, but I will laugh at the Access front-end. BWA-HA-HA-HA! Ah, I feel better.
What do you have against an Access front end when all the objects / data is stored in SQL?
Nothing really, just joking. It's just something that a lot of people poke fun at. Last year Quest released a bunch of T-shirts with tweets on them all referring to the has tag #youmightbeadbaif. One of them was "#youmightbeadbaif you snicker every time someone says Access database." It's just poking fun.
That said, Access can be written in such a way that it's a wonderful and helpful tool, or a total horror show. The problem is, the horror show is actually quite a bit easier to create than the wonderful and helpful tool.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt
Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning
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