Updated: 2009-02-10
How to move from SQL 2005 express edition for a MOSS 2007 installation:
This article can also be used to move from WSS 2.0/SPS 2003 to WSS 3.0 /MOSS 2007.
-Even if the version of SQL is different!
You must run prescan.exe if you want to move from earlier versions of SharePoint!
In this article i will guide you on how you move a Content Database located in SQL 2005 Express Edition to SQL 2005 Standard/Enterprise.
Figure 1: The site in SharePoint with the ContentDB in SQL 2005 Express Edition.
Figure 2: Manage Content Databases from the central administration site.
Start by downloading and installing SQL Server Management Studio Express from http://msdn2.microsoft.com/sv-se/express/bb410792.aspx
Connect to SQL Server Management Studio Express After installation and do a backup of the Content Database.
Figure 3: Connect to Server using Management Studio Express Edition
(If you installed SharePoint using Windows Internal Database WID then you need to use this string to connect to the server:
(np:\\.\pipe\MSSQL$Microsoft##SSEE\sql\query)
Figure 4: Backup of the ContentDB using Management Studio Express Edition.
Now, install SharePoint pointing to a SQL 2005 Standard/Enterprise Edition on a new server and setup as you would do for a normal installation/configuration.
Create a new web application (which creates a new content database), and a new site collection (use the same site template as you did on the express edition installation). As you can see in the figures below i used the name Migrated as web application name and i created a CNAME record in DNS as alias.
Now, restore the ContentDB from the Express Edition backup to the SQL Standard/Enterprise Edition
I had to use the with move option when i restored the database because the location of the database files are different on my two machines.
Then delete the Content Database that gets created when you created the new web application. (Use the Central Administration Site).
Then run this command:
Stsadm –o addcontentdb –URL http://migrated –databasename migrated
There you are!
The Content Database that was previously in Express Edition is now in Standard/Enterprise Edition!
I have notices that sometimes when you "move" a ContentDB with this method you get an error about "Value does not fall within the expected range".
Found a blog post about resolving the problem:
http://blogs.technet.com/stefan_gossner/archive/2008/03/12/common-error-situation-with-when-using-backup-restore-to-transfer-a-database-to-a-new-farm-on-moss-2007.aspx
Microsoft doesn't support the above method and the recommended approach is to use STSADM -o export to export the site and then to use STSADM -o import to re-import the site afterwards. Alternatively you could set up a content deployment job to deploy the content from one environment to another.
If you do decide to use STSADM -o import to create a new site I recommend that you...
1. Create the Web App in Central Administration.
2. Use STSADM -o createsite to create a blank site collection in the new web application.
3. Use STSADM -o import to import the exported site into the blank site
Backup, Recovery, and Availability Resource Center for SharePoint Server 2007:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/sharepointserver/bb736212.aspx
Back to Home