Please start any new threads on our new site at https://forums.sqlteam.com. We've got lots of great SQL Server experts to answer whatever question you can come up with.

 All Forums
 SQL Server 2000 Forums
 SQL Server Administration (2000)
 RAID Controller Failure - Restore Master

Author  Topic 

lazerath
Constraint Violating Yak Guru

343 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-17 : 14:00:01
Hello all,

We have a staging SQL Server here that had a RAID Controller melt-down, resulting in a tape restore of our partitions. Problem is that our backup client doesn't backup live databases and I lost master, etc.

This happened at precisely the wrong time. Since this is a staging server, I made every effort to mimick production. Sadly, this failure happened before I was able to perform a current backup of master.

So, now I have SQL Server, fully patched and updated, without any databases. My thoughts were to use the production server master, msdb, etc, but I am not quite sure how to begin. Failing that, I could reinstall SQL Server.

Any thoughts?

lazerath
Constraint Violating Yak Guru

343 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-17 : 14:12:43
Well, I've attempted to use the rebuildm.exe tool, but its giving me "There are no qualified maintainable instances to rebuild.". I will continue to research.
Go to Top of Page

lazerath
Constraint Violating Yak Guru

343 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-17 : 14:31:49
Well, I learned an important thing just now: our backup client can't backup the registry for Windows 2003 Server. Therefore, it couldn't restore the registry settings that are needed to use rebuildm.exe.

Hmmmm. What would all you Sql Server DBAs do to your system support personel if this happened to you? Do you think I have any hope of recovering this system? Should I stop at a SQL Server 2000 reinstall or have the entire system rebuilt?

Thoughts?
Go to Top of Page

MuadDBA

628 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-17 : 15:48:32
I'd kick them in the nuts.

Did you have custom stored procedures on your MASTER database, or something really important? Otherwsie, you can probably get away with just restoring the user databases.

And get a different backup tool. Sql Server can do live backups with its built-in functionality. Any third-party tool that can't do that should not, SHOULD NOT be used.
Go to Top of Page

Kristen
Test

22859 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-17 : 16:00:47
"I'd kick them in the nuts"

Come on JoeCrazy, SPEAK YOUR MIND !!

Kristen
Go to Top of Page

lazerath
Constraint Violating Yak Guru

343 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-17 : 17:26:43
Oh hey, I ran across a little thing in the SQL Server install that rebuilds the registry hives. Hopefully, my woes will disappear now.

How come someone didn't notice this and say "Hey stupid, you can rebuild the registry!"? :-P
Go to Top of Page

lazerath
Constraint Violating Yak Guru

343 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-18 : 10:49:55
Hmmm... Well, I used the install CD and the registry repair/rebuild option and that seemed to work just fine. My problem now is rebuildm.exe. It works for a while and then fails with error code -1. I fear this system is doomed for a reinstall of SQL Server. :-/
Go to Top of Page

MuadDBA

628 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-18 : 10:52:26
quote:
Originally posted by Kristen

"I'd kick them in the nuts"

Come on JoeCrazy, SPEAK YOUR MIND !!

Kristen



Well, he asked what I'd do....

That's what I'd LIKE to do, but HR would probably frown on it. I would, however, make sure anyone and everyone who could get those fools fired knew about this incident.
Go to Top of Page

lazerath
Constraint Violating Yak Guru

343 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-18 : 11:30:22
Thanks Crazy Joe. I'm just glad this happened on our staging server instead of production. I feel rather lucky, because it *was* our production server a few months ago. Rest assured that there is a meeting scheduled with enough big cheeses to fix this.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I found this little gem:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;273572

Rebuild master has succeeded!
Go to Top of Page
   

- Advertisement -