Move Server data to new file

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Move Server data to new file

Staggerlee

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Points: 5272
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September 13, 2011 at 9:21 am

#243151

Hi,
Im moving the SQL data from the location that i orginally installed SQL Server 2008 r2 on, onto a new drive.
So far i have
Moved System and User databases.
Changed location of Error logs in SSCM -> advanced tab startup parameters
Changed the SQL Server Agent Error Log
Going though the drive that the data used to be on. Im now only left with
F:\MSSQL10.<instance_name>\MSSQL\FTData\
From what i gather this is the full text data? im not sure how to move it or if we are even using this service.
Is there anything you guys do when moving data from A to B?
Anything im missing?
Thanks
S

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Jared SSC Guru Points: 61793 More actions · Answer 1

I don't typically worry about the error logs... Are you keeping your transaction logs on a separate partition from your databases? Are you separating the system databases from the user databases? When I move these files, I just detach, move the files, and reattach when I can. It is as simple as that unless you are asking about a proper design for how and where to have these files.

Jared

Jared
CE - Microsoft

Staggerlee SSCertifiable Points: 5272 More actions · Answer 2

Hi jared,

So when i created the cluster i had to use some temp storage, now that i have the real storage for the server i have to move it over.

If i left error logs, agent logs etc pointing to a invalid location wouldnt that crash sql? or would it run without these working and just not create error messages?

The design of the storage im semi ok with. Think it could have been worked out better but i had limited time, experience and well... knowledge to put it all together so for now it will have to do and ill try and improve on it if i can.

Its mainly are there any other steps, mainly thinking of the ftdata file before i clsoe the lun connection to the server.

guessing a sensible option would be when i think its all moved run a counter on the drive and see if anything is connecting to it?

Thanks

S

Jared SSC Guru Points: 61793 More actions · Answer 3

I was under the assumption that you were just moving data and not removing other drives/partitions. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with clusters. However, of course if the paths no longer exist when you start up SQL server service, you will get errors. So make sure any drives that are going to be removed are reassigned. SQL Server will let you know in the windows event viewer if it cannot start due to an invalid path.

Ex. We moved all of our logs to a different partition and simply deleted the LOG folder from the original location after all logs were moved. However, we forgot to change the default log path, and when we performed some updates on SQL Server and restarted the service, it kept failing. So I checked windows event viewer and found that the path for the default LOG folder was not there and that caused the failure. So, I created the folder (empty) and was able to start the service. Then I switched the default to ournew location, stopped the service, deleted the old folder, and then successfully restarted the service. So, even though there were no logs actually in that folder, SQL server checked the default path. No errors were seen outside of the event viewer, so check that as well.

Jared

Jared
CE - Microsoft

Staggerlee SSCertifiable Points: 5272 More actions · Answer 4

thanks jared.

seem to find myself moving data around all the time at the moment form 1 drive to another.. (so far no major problems!) but this is the first time its on a cluster and the drive it came from is being removed! so def edging towards the nervous side.. ill start a counter tomorrow and leave it a week see if the drive is excepting any data should settle me down a little (Long as it hasnt taken any data that is!)

Any ideas on the FTdata folder?

Jared SSC Guru Points: 61793 More actions · Answer 5

Check out this post: http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic948435-146-1.aspx

or this: http://auoracle.blogspot.com/2010/12/moving-full-text-folder-in-sql-server.html

Thanks,

Jared

Jared
CE - Microsoft

Staggerlee SSCertifiable Points: 5272 More actions · Answer 6

Morning Jared!

Thanks for the links... im really loath to start using the registry as its a cluster .. Was hoping there would be a nice t-sql way.. I shall have a look today. At the moment we dont use FT, i was just told to put it on as it was possible we would use it (we follow best prac to a tee!) so its not a major problem, till someone does want to use it !

Thanks again for the help 🙂

S

Staggerlee SSCertifiable Points: 5272 More actions · Answer 7

well it looks like we are running ft on all of our sql instances on the cluster and its not being used by any of them.

So im thinking ill just remove the service Which brings me to a new problem.

How do you remove a feature/service from a cluster?

Do i remove it from the passive node roll over and remove from the second?