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I have a SQL 2008 Express with 80 databases in it. I want to move these databases completely to another server which is hosting a SQL 2008R2 Enterprise instance.

As i'm told it is better to script the databases and run the script on the new instance.

I can do this in 2 ways: 1. Running a script on the 2008 server to get all of users and passwords and user mapping to databases and then Script all of the databases (without users information) and then restore databases on new instance and then run the users script for logings and users mapping to databases. i have been told it is a better way

-2: Script all of the databases using Script to WIZARD and check-mark DATA+SCHEMA+USERS and then script the database to .SQL file and run this SQL script on the new instance.

What is your suggestions? Which is the best way to this without facing any issue. Kind regards

Armin
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2 Answers2

3

I would personally just do a backup for each database, and then attach them to the new server. Just remember to use

EXEC sp_change_users_login 'Auto_Fix', 'username'

for fixing user accounts.

The Wizard approach sounds doable.

If you need another approach for scripting DDL, the scptxfr.exe tool that comes with earlier versions of SQL Server still works with 2008. The following will connect to a local SQL Server instance and create a DDL script for my_database:

scptxfr /s .\SQLExpress /d my_database /I /f database_script.sql /O /H

Without programming, it is going to be difficult to get all the data out in scripts.

Vérace
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Dave Glassborow
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I would probably just detach/attach via script.

Drop a list of database names into a file ("control.txt"), which you can get from sys.databases (removing the system databases).

The script itself is:

@ECHO ON

set newipmdf=\\newserver\drive$
set newipldf=\\newserver\drive$
set controlfile=control.txt
set oldserver=oldserver\instance
set oldmdfpath=d:\path
set newmdfpath=d:\path
set copymdfpath="m:\path"
set newserver=newserver\instance
set oldlogpath=e:\path
set newlogpath=e:\path
set copylogpath="l:\path
set movedmdfpath=%oldmdfpath%\moved
set movedldfpath=%oldlogpath%\moved

mkdir %movedmdfpath%
mkdir %movedldfpath%

net use m: %newipmdf%
net use l: %newipldf%

SETLOCAL DISABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
FOR /F %%L IN (%controlfile%%) DO (
  SET "line=%%L"
  SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
  ECHO !line!
  sqlcmd -E -S!oldserver! -Q"EXEC master.dbo.sp_detach_db @dbname = N'!line!'"
  copy "!oldmdfpath!\!line!.mdf" !copymdfpath!
  copy "!oldlogpath!\!line!_log.ldf" !copylogpath!
  sqlcmd -E -S!newserver! -Q"CREATE DATABASE [!line!] ON ( FILENAME = N'!newmdfpath!\!line!.mdf' ),( FILENAME = N'!newlogpath!\!line!_log.ldf' ) FOR ATTACH"
  move "!oldmdfpath!\!line!.mdf" !movedmdfpath!
  move "!oldlogpath!\!line!_log.ldf" !movedldfpath!
  ENDLOCAL
)
ENDLOCAL

net use m: /z
net use l: /z
Katherine Villyard
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