I have a SQL Server 2008 DB. I want to extract SOME tables (and associated schema, constraints, indexes, etc) and create a SQL Server Express DB. It isn't a sync of the target, we stomp on it.
We ONLY need to do this in the file system (not across the wire). We are not fond of the synchronization stuff and at this point don't know how to run SSIS. We are a C# shop and a little code is ok. Like using the C# bulk import stuff, but that won't create the schema.
Suggestions?
My suggestion:
Back up the database
Restore under new name and file
Detach restored database from SQL Server
You now have a standalone file that you could use with SQL Server Express.
We use a tool from Red-Gate called SQL Compare to generate schema-complete SQL scripts. It's about $400, but well worth it. You pick the objects you want (users, tables, views, functions - whatever) you want, and it will generate a SQL Script to re-create them in your new database. Essentially, it's the same as Right-Click -> "Script To... New Window" in SSMS, but all at once, and it has a number of other features your shop might find useful as well.
As Scott pointed out (I couldn't figure out how to comment on his post), you can do a backup and restore, detach and attach from one server version to another assuming that the database is less than 4GB.
Related
I'm trying to save the whole database to a query in sql server 2008. I have experience with mysql and phpmyadmin, and over there I used to have a simple button to save the database, including constraints and basically everything, to a simple query.
that query basically recreates the database i created just as it was. I think you guys understand what I mean.
is there such an option in ms sql server? thank you in advance.
You can generate scripts to recreate the database structure in SSMS:
Right-click a database, choose Tasks > Generate Scripts... and go through the wizard.
You do not get insert scripts for all the data by default, you need to choose that in the Advanced options in the wizard, Types of data to script choose Schema and data/Data only/Schema only`
For SQL Server, I generally go with a backup/restore point of view. You can backup your entire database to a file, and then choose to restore that database (To another name as I often use for recreating new test databases).
I don't know about creating a query out of the database, but the effect of both seems to be the same result.
I want to copy all my database to remote database server. I have access to server using SQL server management studio.
How can I do this? I have created script with data of old database and tried to run it on new server but it is taking too much time and returns different errors like duplicate key etc.
If this is a one time deal, you should download Redgate's SQL tools. They can handle this easily and are free to test for 14 days I believe. (http://www.red-gate.com) You might even find they are worth the purchase as I have. The tools you would use are SQL Compare (to copy structure) and SQL DAta Compare to actually copy the data.
Assuming that you can restore databases to your remote SQL server, you can use SQL Server backup and restore? They're available in SQL Server Management Studio. See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187510.aspx. It's very easy to use.
Other than that, you can try copying the database MDF and LDF files from your local database onto your remote database filesystem, then attaching to the MDF file on your remote database.
Those are probably the fastest ways that you can copy and entire database to a remote location that I can think of.
Try Database publishing wizard by Microsoft. Good enough for no very big data amounts.
How can I move a db from one server to another (I only have access to the database with mylittleadmin). Like the title says, I guess the "easiest" way would be by generating SQL with a stored procedure.
I'm using SQL Server 2008 on both servers.
In the codeplex project Extreme T-SQL Script I have written T-SQL procedures to script the content of tables. I just abandoned its use myself in favor of ssms tools pack, but the later is no option for you.
When using these procedures in SSMS or VS the main problem is that Microsoft has limits on max column width and max length of output from Print-Statements.
I can't predict, which such limits exist when using mylittleadmin.
It depends on which datatypes and which varchar length you are using. Writing scripts that handle special needs is possible.
Further you need something to script the database objects first and it might be difficult to find something for that, as most people just use SSMS for this purpose. sp_helptext might help to script procedures.
In SSMS, you have the ability to copy or move a database from one instance of SQL Server to another. You can right-click on the database in SSMS, choose Tasks and then Copy Database...
Or, of course, you can simply backup the DB and restore on your target server.
(I have no idea what 'myLitleAdmin' is that you referred to)
You dont need to make a stored procedure. The easiest way to do it is by right click on your database -->task-->back up and create a backup.
after that you can restore your database on the other server.
If you have a license for myLittleAdmin then do as their web states. It says
"Purchasing a license gives you unlimited mail support.
Send your request at support#mylittletools.net"
Actually I found out that you could make a backup of the database in myLittleAdmin. The resulting .bak file was then emailed to me as a link.
Thanks for the comments though, voted up some of them :)
Is it possible to restore a backup of a SQL Server 2008 database onto an instance of SQL Server 2005?
I need to work on an sample application for which database backup is in sql server 2008.
But I'll not be able to install 2008. So is it possible to restore that back up in 2005?
No. It is not possible to restore a database from a backup of a newer version.
If you are dead set on it, I think your best option is to selet the database in the Object Explorer in SQL 2008,
right-click, select Tasks->Generate Scripts.In the options dialog emable about everything, including Script Data.
And make sure you select "Script for SQL 2005".
Source
When importing the objects into your target server, if the objects are large you may find that you can't open the SQL file via Management Studio (with a completely useless "The operation could not be completed" error, no less). That's okay, just load the file via sqlcmd.
One important thing is missing in all answers and that is the fact that Generate Scripts in SSMS doesn’t order the scripts correctly.
Scripts have to be ordered in the correct dependency order so that child tables are created after parent tables and such.
This is not an issue for small databases where its easy to reorder the scripts manually but it can be a huge issue when dealing with databases that have 100+ objects.
My experience is that its most convenient to use third party tools that can read backup and generate scripts in the correct order. I’m using ApexSQL Diff and Data Diff from ApexSQL but you can’t go wrong with any popular vendor.
No, not directly. SQL Server 2008 database backups are not backward compatible with SQL Server 2005. However, with SQL Server 2008 Management Studio, you can script data and schemas in SQL Server 2005 mode. This article describes the process in detail.
Yes it is possible
Using the export in the SQL Server 2008. Go to All Programs --> Microsoft SQL Server 2008 --> Import and Export Data
Then SQL Server Import AND Export Wizard window will be opened. Press Next
Choose a Data source (in your case from SQL Server 2008). Choose a Destination( in your case from SQL Server 2005).
Select Copy data from one or more tables or view
Select the source's tables and destination's tables
Click Next & Finish
to complete.
I have had this problem for a long while.
You cannot restore SQL2008 backups onto an SQL2005 instance.
And for me, workarounds like import/export wizzard or to script the database from SQL2008 using the generate scripts with the for SQL2005 option won't work.
Because simply, my databases cross-reference each other inside their views and stored procedures or udfs. They do not befall to my responsibility completely and so I cannot consolidate them into 1 database.
They are a set of 6 dbs that refer to each other directly inside their views and stored procedures.
When I transfer them from one SQL2005 instance onto another, I usually do full-backup/restore.
If I were to script them, even with the with dependencies option I would get errors at re-creation time as db1 will not find views inside db3 because it so happened that I executed the create db1 script first. If I tried db3 first I get similar exceptions.
The only way to script them so that I won't have such dependency exceptions, is to figure out a sequence that works and script them partially in that manner: say: db1_tables followed by db2_tables followed by db2_views followed by db1_views, sp, udfs etc.
I have such a sequence. And when I need to create a new set of such 6 dbs, I executed the smaller partial scripts in sequence.
This explains why the generate scripts, with dependencies and with data and set to SQL2005 version scripts, will just not work for me.
The import/export wizzard is better in my case because it will copy tables and then you still have to script all views, sp, udfs etc.
What I really need is a conversion tool for SQL2008 backup files, to convert them to SQL2005 format. Then my problem will go away.
Or some kind of a tool that would allow restore from SQL2008 full-backup files, without asking me too many questions.
If anyone knows such tools and have used them, let me know.
You can use DBSave, it's a great freeware tool to backup and restore ms sql server on different machines.
It's verry simple to setup and to use.
No you can't, but tools like red gate's SQL Compare/Data Compare can read backup files directly & transfer the info across to a live database, dealing with any syntax or settings that aren't compatible on SS2005
Having had no luck with the Import/Export stuff (flat file exports failed on import claiming charset mapping issues [even though same charset used throughout] and/or truncation issues [even though source and destination had exact same structure]), and having had no luck with using the "generate scripts" option suggested by Garry Shutler (it generated a script with syntax errors), I was finally able to copy the big table I wanted to copy from 2008 to 2005 using the SQL Server bcp utility. So that's another option for this situation, although for an entire database it would be table-by-table and probably doesn't help with views and such.
The steps I used:
On the source server, use "Script Table As...CREATE" to get the structure, run that on the target server.
On the target server, create a bcp format file using your newly-created table:
bcp database.owner.table format nul -f table.fmt -n
(If you're not using Windows auth, you may need the -U and -P options to specify username and password.)
Copy that format file to the source server (if necessary).
Export the data to file on the source server:
bcp database.owner.table out table.dat -f table.fmt
(Again, possibly with -U and -P.)
Copy the data file to the target server (if necessary).
Import the data on the target server:
bcp database.owner.table in table.dat -f table.fmt
(Again, possibly with -U and -P.)
In hopes that proves useful to someone else.
I have been developing in VB.NET and SQL Server 2008 for a while now, but haven't got into live installs yet. In the database system I used be on it had the ability to archive multiple tables into a .dga file, as it was called. I could then restore the .dga file into another database or on another server.
I'm looking for the easiest way to accomplish something similar in SQL Server.
If you want to transfer specific tables, then using Data Transformation Services (right click on the database in SQL Server Management studio and select "Import Data" and it will bring the dialog up for it). Of course, this assumes that you have both databases available to you.
If you are comfortable with replacing the database as a whole, you can easily backup the database and then restore it into a new one through SQL Server Management studio (or through calling the appropriate SP).
I would go for one of the following :
From MS SQL Management Studio, right click on the database / Tasks / Generate scripts
From Visual Studio, in the Server Explorer tab, "publish to provider"
Both will launch a wizard allowing you to export the tables you want the way you want (including data or not, creation scripts or not, etc etc.)
If you want to move tabless without data, the simpliest thing is to script the tables you want and run the script.
We script all our db changes and commit them to subversion and then run them as part of the deplyment process.
If you want to put the whole database on prod including data (scrub out test records first!), then do a backup and restore onthe other server.
For future changes, wescript all our db changes and commit them to subversion and then run them as part of the deployment process. There also are tools that look at the structural differnces bewteen the two servers and creates scripts. REd-Gate's SQL Compare is really good for this.
In addition to HLGEM's suggestions, you can look into SSIS if this is an ongoing process.