Solution
As a solution to decrease making mistakes during the migration process I have developed the below database migration checklist. In addition, there are steps which should be taken which can enhance the database performance after the migration.
Pre-Migration Checklist
Analyze the disk space of the target server for the new database, if the disk space is not enough add more space on the target server
Confirm the data and log file location for the target server
Collect the information about the Database properties (Auto Stats, DB Owner, Recovery Model, Compatibility level, Trustworthy option etc)
Collect the information of dependent applications, make sure application services will be stopped during the database migration
Collect the information of database logins, users and their permissions. (Optional)
Check the database for the Orphan users if any
Check the SQL Server for any dependent objects (SQL Agent Jobs and Linked Servers)
Check, if the database is part of any maintenance plan
Below are various scripts you can run to collect data.
Script to Check the Disk and Database Size
-- Procedure to check disc space exec master..xp_fixeddrives -- To Check database size exec sp_helpdb [dbName] or use [dbName] select str(sum(convert(dec(17,2),size)) / 128,10,2) + 'MB' from dbo.sysfiles GO
Script to Check Database Properties
select sysDB.database_id, sysDB.Name as 'Database Name', syslogin.Name as 'DB Owner', sysDB.state_desc, sysDB.recovery_model_desc, sysDB.collation_name, sysDB.user_access_desc, sysDB.compatibility_level, sysDB.is_read_only, sysDB.is_auto_close_on, sysDB.is_auto_shrink_on, sysDB.is_auto_create_stats_on, sysDB.is_auto_update_stats_on, sysDB.is_fulltext_enabled, sysDB.is_trustworthy_on from sys.databases sysDB INNER JOIN sys.syslogins syslogin ON sysDB.owner_sid = syslogin.sid
Another Script to Check Database Properties
declare @dbdesc varchar(max) declare @name varchar(10) set @name='Master' SELECT @dbdesc = 'Status=' + convert(sysname,DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'Status')) SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', Updateability=' + convert(sysname,DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'Updateability')) SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', UserAccess=' + convert(sysname,DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'UserAccess')) SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', Recovery=' + convert(sysname,DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'Recovery')) SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', Version=' + convert(sysname,DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'Version')) -- These props only available if db not shutdown IF DatabaseProperty(@name, 'IsShutdown') = 0 BEGIN SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', Collation=' + convert(sysname,DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'Collation')) SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', SQLSortOrder=' + convert(sysname,DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'SQLSortOrder')) END -- These are the boolean properties IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsAutoClose') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsAutoClose' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsAutoShrink') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsAutoShrink' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsInStandby') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsInStandby' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsTornPageDetectionEnabled') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsTornPageDetectionEnabled' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsAnsiNullDefault') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsAnsiNullDefault' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsAnsiNullsEnabled') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsAnsiNullsEnabled' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsAnsiPaddingEnabled') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsAnsiPaddingEnabled' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsAnsiWarningsEnabled') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsAnsiWarningsEnabled' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsArithmeticAbortEnabled') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsArithmeticAbortEnabled' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsAutoCreateStatistics') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsAutoCreateStatistics' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsAutoUpdateStatistics') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsAutoUpdateStatistics' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsCloseCursorsOnCommitEnabled') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsCloseCursorsOnCommitEnabled' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsFullTextEnabled') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsFullTextEnabled' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsLocalCursorsDefault') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsLocalCursorsDefault' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsNullConcat') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsNullConcat' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsNumericRoundAbortEnabled') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsNumericRoundAbortEnabled' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsQuotedIdentifiersEnabled') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsQuotedIdentifiersEnabled' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsRecursiveTriggersEnabled') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsRecursiveTriggersEnabled' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsMergePublished') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsMergePublished' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsPublished') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsPublished' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsSubscribed') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsSubscribed' IF DatabasePropertyEx(@name,'IsSyncWithBackup') = 1 SELECT @dbdesc = @dbdesc + ', ' + 'IsSyncWithBackup' SELECT @dbdesc
Script to List Orphan Users
sp_change_users_login 'report' GO
Script to List Linked Servers
select * from sys.sysservers
Script to List Database Dependent Jobs
select distinct name, database_name from sysjobs sj INNER JOIN sysjobsteps sjt on sj.job_id = sjt.job_id
Database Migration Checklist
These are the steps you would go through to make the change.
1. Stop the application services
2. Change the database to read-only mode (Optional)
-- Script to make the database readonly USE [master] GO ALTER DATABASE [DBName] SET READ_ONLY WITH NO_WAIT GO ALTER DATABASE [DBName] SET READ_ONLY GO
3. Take the latest backup of all the databases involved in migration
4. Restore the databases on the target server on the appropriate drives
5. Cross check the database properties as per the database property script output, change the database properties as per the pre migration- checklist
Script to Change DB Owner
This will change the database owner to "sa". This can be used to change to any owner you would like.
USE databaseName EXEC sp_changedbowner 'sa'
Script to Turn on Trustworthy Option
If trustworthy option was set, this will turn it on for the database.
ALTER DATABASE database_name SET TRUSTWORTHY ON
Script to Change the Database Compatibility Level
When you upgrade to a new version, the old compatibility level will remain. This script shows how to change the compatibility level to SQL Server 2005 compatibility .
ALTER DATABASE DatabaseName SET SINGLE_USER GO EXEC sp_dbcmptlevel DatabaseName, 90; GO ALTER DATABASE DatabaseName SET MULTI_USER GO
6. Execute the output of Login transfer script on the target server, to create logins on the target server you can get the code from this technet article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/246133.
7. Check for Orphan Users and Fix Orphan Users
Script to Check and Fix Orphan Users
-- Script to check the orphan user EXEC sp_change_users_login 'Report' --Use below code to fix the Orphan User issue DECLARE @username varchar(25) DECLARE fixusers CURSOR FOR SELECT UserName = name FROM sysusers WHERE issqluser = 1 and (sid is not null and sid <> 0x0) and suser_sname(sid) is null ORDER BY name OPEN fixusers FETCH NEXT FROM fixusers INTO @username WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0 BEGIN EXEC sp_change_users_login 'update_one', @username, @username FETCH NEXT FROM fixusers INTO @username END CLOSE fixusers DEALLOCATE fixusers
8. Execute DBCC UPDATEUSAGE on the restored database.
Run the DBCC UPDATEUSAGE command against the migrated database when upgrading to a newer version of SQL Server.
DBCC UPDATEUSAGE('database_name') WITH COUNT_ROWS DBCC CHECKDB OR DBCC CHECKDB('database_name') WITH ALL_ERRORMSGS
9. Rebuild Indexes (Optional) As per the requirement and time window you can execute this option.
Take a look at this tip to rebuild all indexes.
This will rebuild or reorganize all indexes for a particular table.
Index Rebuild :- This process drops the existing Index and Recreates the index.
Index Reorganize :- This process physically reorganizes the leaf nodes of the index.
-- Script for Index Rebuild USE [DBName]; GO ALTER INDEX ALL ON [ObjectName] REBUILD GO -- Script for Index Reorganize USE AdventureWorks; GO ALTER INDEX ALL ON [ObjectName] REORGANIZE GO
sp_updatestats
11. Recompile procedures
Take a look at this tip to recompile all objects.
This will recompile a particular stored procedure.
sp_recompile 'procedureName'
12. Start the application services, check the application functionality and check the Windows event logs.
13. Check the SQL Server Error Log for login failures and other errors
Take a look at this tip on how to read SQL Server error logs.
EXEC xp_readerrorlog 0,1,"Error",Null
14. Once the application team confirms that application is running fine take the databases offline on the source server or make them read only
-- Script to make the database readonly USE [master] GO ALTER DATABASE [DBName] SET READ_ONLY WITH NO_WAIT GO ALTER DATABASE [DBName] SET READ_ONLY GO -- Script to take the database offline EXEC sp_dboption N'DBName', N'offline', N'true' OR ALTER DATABASE [DBName] SET OFFLINE WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE
Next Steps
Test the process to determine how much time and disk space would be needed by using the backup and recovery process.
Meet with your technical and business teams to find out how much time is available for the migration and plan the activity
Design the rollback plan, if the application is not working fine
Add more migration cases in your checklist, for example check if the database requires any server level change (For example CLR, XP_Cmdshell etc)
Some of these scripts give you the base command to update a portion of the data, enhance the process to hit each object in your database.