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Kristen
Test
22859 Posts |
 Posted - 2010-05-11 : 06:20:20
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| We have a SQL2008 server (on a virtual machine) which has some client databases on it. We now need to split it into two. In order to avoid the time of installing SQL on the new machine, and then Backup/Restore of the DBs needed on new machine could we use the daily backup of the virtual machine to restore to a new server and just delete the DBs we don't want on the new machine?The DBs we want on the new machine are all currently in DEV mode, so I could "offline" them before the next virtual machine backup.I don't mind restoring MASTER/MSDB etc. onto the new machine (as they will be in-use when the backup is made, and may be indeterminate) - they are tiny compared to the actual DBsMy worry is whether the SQL install will have some machine-specific stuff in it, and ditto for MASTER / MSDB.It sure would save us a a lot of time though, if its possible. |
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Lumbago
Norsk Yak Master
3271 Posts |
Posted - 2010-05-11 : 07:45:24
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| I've done more or less the same on my local HyperV-server and the only real issues I've encountered so far is the windows-stuff with network settings and the two machines having the same SID and such. If the machine is a part of a domain I think you'll have to take it out of the domain first, duplicate the machine, change the machine name and SID of the new VM and add them both to the domain again. Never done it anywhere but on my personal laptop though so I'm not giving any guarantees...- LumbagoIf the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts. Albert Einstein |
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Kristen
Test
22859 Posts |
Posted - 2010-05-11 : 13:30:32
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| My worry is that we will have downstream-problems such that we will wish that we had done a from-scratch installation ...Deadlines are very tight on this project though, and the SQL hardware will arrive when the DEVs are at their busiest and when we will have very little time to spend setting stuff up ... |
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Lumbago
Norsk Yak Master
3271 Posts |
Posted - 2010-05-12 : 03:47:15
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| I thought this was an interesting question so we had a little discussion here at the office with a fellow dba and some pretty qualified vmware people, and what we basically concluded is that it should work provided that you do the OS-stuff properly. We also did some simple connectivity tests on my local VM and we actually found some rather interesting results, but none that should really matter. What we basically did was this:- Run SELECT @@SERVERNAME on the current VM, result was "LumbagoVM1"- Renamed the server on the OS level to "LumbagoVM2"- Run SELECT @@SERVERNAME without rebooting, result was "LumbagoVM1"- Reboot server to complete the server rename operation- Run SELECT @@SERVERNAME, result was still "LumbagoVM1". SQL Server doesn't reflect the real servername!!- Run sp_dropserver and sp_addserver adding the new name "LumbagoVM2" according to the article in books online: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143799.aspx- Restarted the sql server service- Run SELECT @@SERVERNAME, result was now "LumbagoVM2" as expectedHOWEVER; none of the changes we did to the @@SERVERNAME had any affect whatsoever on the connectivity to the server! I tried connecting to the VM from my local laptop and the VM in numerous ways but it didn't matter what I did, the server always responded when I connected using the *machine name* and not what was in @@SERVERNAME. We also changed the @@SERVERNAME to "Henning" and some various other names but it had no effect whatsoever to the connectivity of the server. So we drew the conclusion that you can clone the server without any problems, just remember to change the @@SERVERNAME on all instances once you're done. But keep in mind that our recomendation is without warranty :)- LumbagoIf the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts. Albert Einstein |
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Kristen
Test
22859 Posts |
Posted - 2010-05-12 : 04:48:23
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| Thanks Lumbago - well over-and-above the call of duty :) |
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Lumbago
Norsk Yak Master
3271 Posts |
Posted - 2010-05-12 : 04:57:01
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| Would you let me know how it goes, if you actually go to the step of cloning the server? We are currently in the process of mapping the pro's and cons and do's and dont's of virtual sql servers and this would definitely fit in nicely!- LumbagoIf the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts. Albert Einstein |
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Kristen
Test
22859 Posts |
Posted - 2010-05-12 : 05:04:09
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| I'm still nervous so may not happen (the plan would be to CLONE the IIS web box too ...)The hardware boys don't see it like that though ... so maybe it will. |
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vjimmers
Starting Member
6 Posts |
Posted - 2011-03-02 : 16:14:48
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| So how did you handle the SQL Server security groups still referencing the old servers and creating the new SQL Server security groups? Also I read there could be issues with duplicate SIDs. Sounds like it would be easier to re-install all applications. |
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Clone a server?