SQL Server 2008 : Upgrade Strategies (part 2) - Side-by-Side Upgrade

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6/23/2011 11:13:35 AM

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2. Side-by-Side Upgrade
A side-by-side upgrade consists of installing SQL Server 2008 and moving the databases from the old
instance to the new instance. The side-by-side method gives you a chance to test the effects SQL Server
2008 will have on an application before severing the ties with the old version. The new instance can be
installed on a second server, or you can use the same server provided it meets the install requirements.
Generally, you should take advantage of the upgrade process to upgrade the hardware as well. If the
same server is used, you will need sufficient disk space to store a duplicate copy of the databases during
the upgrade.
Log shipping can also be useful when performing an upgrade. If you have a large database, you can set
up log shipping in advance to keep the databases in sync on the new system while the old system is still
active. This will keep the downtime to a minimum, since you can keep your system online while you wait
for a large data file copy to a new server. You can copy the database to the new server and perform the
upgrade in advance, so the application will only need to be offline while you restore a few transaction logs
on the new server. More information about this approach can be found in SQL Server Books Online by
searching for the topics "Migrating a SQL Server 2000 Log Shipping Configuration to SQL Server 2008"
or "Migrating a SQL Server 2005 Log Shipping Configuration to SQL Server 2008."
Once you have installed the new instance of SQL Server 2008, there are three methods for moving the
databases to the new instance:

Detach the old database and attach it to the new instance.

Back up the old database and restore it on the new instance.
Use the Copy Database Wizard to copy the database to the new instance.

NOTE
You will also need to copy any objects outside the database, such as logins and jobs, since you cannot
restore system databases to a newer version of SQL Server.
The steps to performing a side-by-side upgrade include the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Make sure you have a current backup. (This should be the first step before making any
modifications to any databases.)
Script the logins.
Script the jobs.
Install SQL Server 2008.
Copy the database to the new instance by using one of the methods previously listed. (These will
be described in detail in the subsections that follow.)
Create the logins on the new instance by running the login script.

7.
8.

Create the jobs on the new instance by running the job script.
Check database connectivity and functionality.

Installing SQL Server 2008 in this side-by-side approach is no different from doing a fresh install.
However, with a side-by-side upgrade, you also have to worry about migrating your database afterward.
The following sections cover the three ways to perform that migration.
2.1. The Detach/Attach Migration Method
We prefer the detach and attach method when permanently moving databases to a new instance of SQL
Server. By moving each file itself instead of a copy of the file at any given point in time, you can be sure
you have captured the exact state of the database as it existed on the previous instance. Since the
database is detached, it will be inaccessible for any transactions, ensuring that no data will be committed
on the old system during the upgrade. Detaching the database also helps to validate that all the
connections have been reconfigured to point to the new system. If a connection was missed and is still
pointing to the old instance, you will encounter an error instead of actually making a connection that you
think is pointing to the new instance.
You can use the sp_detach_db stored procedure to detach a database. You should also set the database
to single-user mode and immediately roll back any transactions before trying to detach the
database. Listing 1 contains a script invoking sp_detach_db that you can use to detach a database.
Example 1. T-SQL Script to Detach a Database
USE [master]
GO
ALTER DATABASE [DatabaseName] SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE
GO
EXEC master.dbo.sp_detach_db 'DatabaseName'
GO

To attach a database in SQL Server 2008, you should use the CREATE DATABASE statement with the
FOR ATTACH clause. This statement and clause replace the sp_attach_db stored procedure that was
previously used to attach a database. The sp_attach_db stored procedure has been deprecated and will
be removed in a future release. You will also need to specify the locations of the data files that are going
to be attached. The complete syntax for attaching a database is shown in Listing 2.
Example 2. T-SQL Script to Attach a Database
USE [master]
GO
CREATE DATABASE [DatabaseName] ON
( FILENAME = N'C:\MSSQL\DATA\DatabaseName.mdf' ),
( FILENAME = N'C:\MSSQL\DATA\DatabaseName_log.ldf' )
FOR ATTACH
GO

Alternatively, you can detach and attach databases using the GUI in SQL Server Management Studio. To
detach a database using the GUI, you can right-click on the database you want to detach, select Tasks,

and then select Detach from the context menu. This will bring up the Detach Databases screen. Select
OK to detach the database. To attach a database using the GUI, you can right-click on the Databases
folder and select Attach from the context menu. This will bring you to the Attach Databases screen.
Selecting Add will bring up the Locate Database Files screen, which will allow you to navigate to the data
file you would like to attach. Once you have selected the data file, select OK to close the Locate
Database Files screen and OK once again on the Attach Databases screen to close the screen and
attach the database.
2.2. Backup/Restore Migration Method
Using the backup and restore method is a good way to copy the database to the new instance without
impacting the availability of the current database. All you need to do is take a full backup of the current
database, copy that backup to the new location, and restore it . SQL Server will upgrade the database
during the restore process. The result will be a SQL Server 2008 database that you will not be able to
move back to an earlier release.
NOTE
You won't be able to move a 2008 database back to an earlier release, even when you are running that
database in a prior compatibility mode. You cannot back up and restore to go from 2008 to an earlier
release, nor can you detach and attach. You can only move a database forward. You cannot migrate
backward.
2.3. Copy Database Wizard Migration Method
You can use the Copy Database Wizard to provide a user-friendly interface to copy your database to an
upgraded instance of SQL Server 2008. You are given the option to make a copy of the database or
completely move the database. You may also choose to copy the database by using the detach and
attach method, or by using SQL Management Objects (SMO). If you use the detach and attach method
from the wizard, make sure there are no users trying to access the database before running the wizard. If
you use SMO, the database will remain online during the entire process. You can also choose to move
any database-related objects, such as logins and jobs. We should point out that while you can copy logins
using the Copy Database Wizard, for security reasons, the wizard creates the login on the destination
server with a random password and then disables the login.
NOTE
The Copy Database Wizard creates a SQL Server Agent job that executes an SSIS package. Make sure
you have Integration Services installed and the SQL Server Agent running on the destination server prior
to executing the Copy Database Wizard.
Use the following steps to upgrade a database using the Copy Database Wizard:
1.

Start the Copy Database Wizard by right-clicking the Management folder in the SQL Server 2008
Management Studio Object Explorer and selecting Copy Database. As you can see in Figure 12,
you can use the Copy Database Wizard to move or copy databases from an instance of SQL
Server 2000 or later to SQL Server 2008. Select Next to continue.
Figure 12. Copy Database Wizard Welcome screen

2.

Choose the source server and instance name that contains the database you will be upgrading.
See Figure 13 for an example. Provide the appropriate authentication and select Next to
continue.
Figure 13. Selecting a source server

3.

Choose the destination server and instance name that will host the new database. The
destination server in Figure 14 is KEN-PC\SQL2K8. Provide the appropriate authentication and
select Next to continue.
Figure 14. Selecting a destination server

4.

Choose the method that should be used to transfer the database to the new server and select
Next to continue. If you use the detach and attach method, the database will be offline during the
process. Taking the database offline can be a good thing if you want to make sure no data is
being processed during the upgrade; but if you are making a copy of the database for test
purposes, you may need to use SMO to ensure that the database remains online, as shown
in Figure 15.
Figure 15. Selecting a transfer method

5.

Select the database or databases from the source server that you would like to transfer
(see Figure 16), and select Next to continue. Pay special attention to the option that you choose
to transfer the database. If you select Move, the database will no longer exist on the source
server after the wizard has completed. Also notice that there is no option to move or copy the
system databases to the new instance.
Figure 16. Copy Database Wizard database selection

6.

Specify the name and location of the destination database. As you can see in Figure 17, you
have the option of stopping the transfer or dropping the database if it already exists on the
destination server. Select the appropriate option and select Next to continue. This step will be
repeated for each database that has been selected for transfer to the destination server.
Figure 17. Configuring the destination database

7.

On the left side of the screen, select the related server objects that you would like to transfer to
the new instance (shown in Figure 18) and click the arrow to move them to the right side of the
screen. Once you have selected to move the objects, you can click the ellipsis to the right of each
object to specify detailed copy instructions for each object type, as shown in Figure 19. Select
Next to continue.
Figure 18. Select related server objects

Figure 19. Select server objects copy options

8.

As shown in Figure 20, specify the name of the SSIS package that will be created to transfer the
databases. (This name will also be used for the SQL Server Agent job that will be created.)
Configure the appropriate logging options by choosing Windows Event Log or Text File from the
drop-down menu. If you choose to log to a text file, you can also choose the path where you
would like to store the logs. Select Next to continue.
Figure 20. Configuring the package

9.

You can choose to execute the package immediately following the wizard or schedule the
package to run at a later time. In Figure 21, we chose to run the package immediately. If you
choose to schedule the package, click the Change Schedule button to open the New Job
Schedule dialog box and specify when you would like to execute the package. Select the proxy
account that will be used to perform the transfer. There must be a proxy account available to the
user with the SQL Server Integration Services package execution permission on the destination
server. You can create a new proxy account if needed by expanding the SQL Server Agent, rightclicking on the Proxies folder, and selecting New Proxy. Select Next to continue.
Figure 21. Scheduling the SSIS package

10.

Review the options you have selected on the Complete the Wizard screen (shown in Figure 22)
and select Finish to start the transfer.
Figure 22. Copy Database Wizard completion

11.

You can monitor the progress on the Performing Operation screen shown in Figure 23. The time
it takes to complete the transfer depends on the size of the databases being transferred and the
options that were chosen during the wizard process. For example, SMO will take longer than
detaching and attaching the databases. Click Close once the wizard has completed. If the wizard
encounters any errors, you will be able to select the link in the Message column to help you
troubleshoot the issue.
Figure 23. Copy Database Wizard operation progress

Read more at http://tutorial.programming4.us/windows_server/SQL-Server-2008---Upgrade-Strategies-(part-2)---Side-by-SideUpgrade.aspx#mfVsI4uKwRFlXbeg.99