Re: Using a HEX differential when moving data files.

From: Jacco Schalkwijk (jacco.please.reply_at_to.newsgroups.mvps.org.invalid)
Date: 06/30/04 

Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2004 15:56:06 +0100

You can create a full backup of your old database (which is an online
operation), and restore that on the new server. Then set the old database in
single user mode, back up the transaction log, copy the log back up to the
new server and restore there, and make the new server live. 

-- 
Jacco Schalkwijk
SQL Server MVP
"Tim Net" <MicrosoftNewsGroup (at) cfapostle.com> wrote in message
news:uyg0fdqXEHA.1128@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Hello,
>
> Is it possible to migrate a MSSQL server from one machine to another using
> some sort of differential utility?
> Assumptions of a possible scenario:
> Two machines(Old and New) both with a MSSQL installation in the same
> location: D:\MSSQL
> 10 GB of databases that need minimal down time for he migration.
> MSSQL 2000 Standard.
> 100 MBit connection
>
> Here are my purposed steps:
> 1.) Stop the Old MSSQL instance.
> 2.) Copy the .MDF and .LDF files on Old to a backup directory also on
Old -
> 1 Minute.
> 3.) Restart MSSQL on Old.
> 4.) Copy the .MDF and .LDF files from that backup directory to
D:\MSSQL\DATA
> on New - 15 minutes.
> 5.) Stop he MSSQL instance on Old
> 6.) Run a Hex/Binary differential against the D:\MSSQL\DATA and the backup
> dir that was just created on the Old machine - 1 minute.
> 7.) Move the diff files for each DB to the New server - 1 minute.
> 8.) Extract the differential against the D:\MSSQL\DATA on the New
machine -
> 1 minute.
> 9.) Start the New instance of MSSQL.
>
> In theory the New installation should be exactly the same as he Old one
with
> 3 minutes of down time compared to 15 minutes if copied directly.
>
> Has this been done before?
> Is this utter folly?
> Can it be done?
> Any suggestions on a command line differential utility that will extract
> ONLY the changes in a file?
>
> Your experience is appreciated.
>
> Tim
>
>
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