The SharePoint Plan: Database move headache mitigation

TL;DR; Guidance on moving SharePoint SQL Server databases to a new server using DNS redirection, aiming to simplify migration and minimise downtime and manual effort.

Published on 31 January 2008

Written by Martin Hinshelwood

1 minute read

https://nkdagility.com/resources/8G7jFUB3MHo

SharePoint requires SQL Server. That’s a given, but what if you want to move the SQL Server databases to another server? TFS is easy enough to move between servers, but SharePoint is NOT. The only answer I can find is to do a full backup and restore from SharePoint, which takes time and effort.

The Plan
I will use a local SQL server with a named instance of “EPDev”, but I will also use a DNS name for the server “dpdata.ep-dev.[domain].biz”. This will allow me to, hopefully, move the databases without having to spend the weekend doing it. I should be able to backup and turn off the SQL server. Re-point “dpdata.ep-dev.[domain].biz” to the new SQL Cluster and restore the databases to the “dpdata.ep-dev.[domain].biz/EPDev” instance on that server. Then I will bring up the SharePoint server. This should work, but I have not as yet tested it…

Hopefully this will not screw up, but I will take steps to provide for that

probability possibility…

Microsoft: if you are listening, please make moving a SharePoint database as easy as TFS!

Technorati Tags: Fail SP 2007

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