SP nightmare

  • Moved our databases from an old Windows 2000 box with SQL Server 2000 (no service packs) to a brand new Windows 2003 box.

    Installed SQL Server 2000 on the new box and was informed must be SP3 or greater. Had SP3 handy, so installed it.

    Databases ran slowly, and every fewe hours a stored procedure which accesses a linked Oracle database would crash.

    Found out that SP3 included a broken MDAC with a memory leak which seemed to be the cause of the problems with the linked database.

    I put on SP4, but that told me that it couyldn't update the MDAC because it is an operating system update.

    I put on SP1 of win2003, but that then stopped the linked Oracle databases from being accessed altogether.

    I tried installing MDAC 2.8 SP2, but that refused saying it could not be installed on this OS.

    So, do I wipe windows 2003 from the server and install windows 2000?

    Thanks

    Rob

  • This was removed by the editor as SPAM

  • Just a silly question to start - are you performing the OS installs as a member of the LocalAdministrators group ? I had to ask because I've recently moved a number of SQL Server instances (all SP3a) from Win 2K SP3/SP4 to Win 2K3 and Win2K/SP1 without any issues whatsoever.

    RegardsRudy KomacsarSenior Database Administrator"Ave Caesar! - Morituri te salutamus."

  • One possible problem...SQL Server instances do not like being installed on a new SQL Server that doesn't have the same patch level. Since the original instance had no service pack, it expected to be installed in a new instance with no service pack.

    For the MDAC and issues with SP3a. Download and install MS03-031. Also, you can download just the latest MDAC from Microsoft (they also have a tool called Component Checker that will tell you what level of MDAC in on each system).

    -SQLBill 

  • Sorry for the delay in acknowledging your replies. I landed up in hospital for the last 6 days, with no internet access!

    Ah, I hadn't realised that they had to be installed at the same patch level - I'll see if I can fix that.

    If I use backup/restore, will that fix it?

    On the MDAC front, yes, I have the component checker, and no, the MDAC download from Microsoft doesn't work, because it refuses to install on WIndows 2003.

    And yes, the account is a Domain Admin and also has Local Admin rights on that server.

     

    Cheers

     

    Rob

  • On the MDAC issue, i have found that you can reinstall the version of MDAC that origionally ships with 2003 server by finding c:\windows\inf\mdac.inf , right clicking & installing it.  I had to do this to get client access to a third party  database working after applying SP1 to 2003 server.

    hope that helps.

    mdoty

  • Backup and Restore doesn't work with SP levels.

    You need to make sure the instance is the same level or higher than the original. You can restore a database from a SQL Server 2000 SP2 instance to a SQL Server 2000 SP3a instance, but not the other way.

    Another thing that sometimes causes problems....the collation. It should be the same on both. If one is SQL_Latin_General_Cp437_CS_AS (CS = case sensitive) and the other one is SQL_Latin_General_Cp437-CI_AS (CI = case insensitive) that can cause problems (especially if the two languages are totally different).

    -SQLBill

  • OK, thanks for those tips - that has given me something to work with.

    Rob

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply