SQL Server Database Migration Checklist

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


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