SQL Server Performance Forum – Threads Archive

Moving SQL Server to new hardware

Hi- This is my first go round at this I’s like some feedback on my plan if you would be so kind as to offer up any criticisms,gotchas, or tips. I am moving a SQL 2000 Standard SP3a server from its existing hardware to new hardware. Same OS 2k3, same patch level(For both the OS and SQL). The new server name is different from the old one and SQL is the default instance on both. I plan to take the old server offline and transfer user DB’s to the new server. I will reattach them to the new SQL Server usin the approrpiate data/log paths. I plan on running a script to recreate the logins with the correct sid mappings to the DB users (KB246133). This should eliminate most of the oprhaned users. I don’t plan on bringing over any of the system databases, but rather recreating the SQL jobs and operators as there are few. I am just going to save the DTS packages to the new box as as well. The good thing is that the I can have both servers running to double check system settings, etc prior to the move. I have informed application owners to move the ODBC connections once the migration is complete. Any thought on anything obvious I may be omitting? Thanks!

Somehow I’m not comfortable having a different name for the server if it is being used by same set of applications. You never know which application is going to fail because the server name is hard coded into the code. But, It’s just me. Good luck any way.

I agree, but in my experience if you keep the machine names the same, then after you add the new machine to the domain, it is very difficult to then remove it and get the old sql server service starting again should you need to. I got bitten by this a while ago, and havent tried to do it this way again, maybe I was just unlucky.<br /><br />I dont know if you use linked servers, but you ought to prepare to transfer those also. Ive found no way to script them, so maybe an old fashioned pen and paper job <img src=’/community/emoticons/emotion-1.gif’ alt=’

‘ /> Or if you have both machines running at the same time you may be able to just copy them across via DTS Tranfer wizard<br /><br />

Nope, no linked servers. I checked that out with others. My big concern is that I am fairly new to this organization(Less than 5 months) so I am trying to avoid/minimize the inevitable "doh’s!" I wanted to keep the old server name, but my IT Director wants to stick to a new naming scheme that better reflects the corporate structure. Some of our web applications have the IP hard coded-not sure I understand why there…but it actually works to my advantage in this case as I can change the IP address easily enough. You are right though, there are ODBC connections that applications use as well as potentially hard coded references to the server. I informed probably too many Application and Web people in the company that this was going down, but even still I am sure I will be putting out small(hopefully) fires on Monday. Thanks for the thoughts!

If the affect of new servername can be handled thru the application then you can deploy the process without any issues. I would like to refer handful of articles for your move which gives assessment of the task:
http://vyaskn.tripod.com/moving_sql_server.htm
http://vyaskn.tripod.com/sql_server_dts_best_practices.htm – moving dts packages
http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mssql/article.php/2228611
http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mssql/article.php/2224361 HTH Satya SKJ
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