Moving SQL 2000 Server from NT box to 2003 box

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Moving SQL 2000 Server from NT box to 2003 box

AaP-385828

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December 6, 2006 at 12:44 pm

#153324

Hello everyone
I'm very new here and very new to the experience. Thanks for such an excellent resource.
Here at my location, we are moving our SQL 2000 database(s) from our current old Windows NT box to an existing Windows 2003 Standard box with SQL2000 already working on it.
The W2003 box is a central SQL database server and currently has a database for 1 application on it. The old NT box is providing 3 databases for 1 application and this will be moved to the central database server.
If anyone can offer any advice from experience or any sort of checklist for me to keep up with to avoid any known complications, I'd truly appreciate the help.
Thanks in advance,
aap

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Yelena Varshal SSC-Dedicated Points: 34286 More actions · Answer 1

Hi,

detach databases from the old server, copy to the new server and attach to the new server. Or restore database backups to the new server. When restoring, watch the file paths, so they will be valid on the new machine.

Read the article:

http://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/314546

How to move databases between computers that are running SQL Server

This article has a link to another article:

http://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/246133/

to transfer logins and passwords between instances of SQL Server

The first article also tells you what to do with jobs, dts packages and other items. Also look for the files in the file system if the databases contain tables that keep file paths or share names. If there are shares to be configured, then stop sharing of the old shares. Look that the DTS packages would refer to the correct locations.

Regards,Yelena Varsha

AaP-385828 SSC Enthusiast Points: 136 More actions · Answer 2

Thank you very much Yelena.

I'll take a thorough look through those articles.

In the meantime, I was wondering if replication from the old NT box (limited resources) to the new W2003 box would be wise before the official switch for the application.

Thanks again !

Ewan Hampson SSCrazy Points: 2780 More actions · Answer 3

Not replication, but you could use the trick I've used recently: redirect the SQL Backups from the NT server to subdirectories on the 2003 server, and restore from those backups. I found it reassuring to have the current database untouched on the 'old' box, and to do test restores ahead of time to establish that the new server would run the databases without a hitch. It also impressed upon our Ops people that the new server was now Production, because the backups were there and it had to be looked after, before there were actually live databases running there.

You do need a fast network connection, and of course the account running SQL Server/Agent on the old box must have permissions to the new one.

If you use restore, I agree entirely "Watch for file locations", and also check that you restore under the right db owner/creator (sometimes, particuarly if the owner is a Windows domain account, it matters). I also found a reindex after restore seemed to make a difference, though I'm not clever enough to be sure or know why.

Yelena Varshal SSC-Dedicated Points: 34286 More actions · Answer 4

I am doing moving backups to another box and restoring them there for one of the applications I support for the redundancy. When I will move this application to SQL Server 2005 I will use mirroring or log shipping for that. I am working with the Standard editions, so I don't have log shipping in 2000.

Regards,Yelena Varsha