Upgrading from SQL Server 2008 to 2012

hamesy

hamesy

hamesy

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I might have to do an upgrade from SQL Server 2008 and 2012. I'll be honest, apart from a few SQL statements (select, update, insert, etc), I know nothing about SQL Server.

The DBAs at work have refused to do it as they don't look after the database so it's left to myself and another guy who's got some knowledge.

Does anyone have an idiots guide to do this?

I can take a snapshot of the server before doing the work in case there's an issue, but I would prefer to do it right the 1st time.
 
Done plenty of these and never had any major problems.

I'm assuming there is nothing terribly complex about the database here. Take a full backup of all of the databases, both user and system, then stop the SQL services, then take your snapshot. You can then run an in place upgrade.

If it fails, revert the snapshot, reboot, and you'll be back where you started.

There's an upgrade advisor you can run before you start.

Whilst I can sort of understand a DBA not wanting to be responsible for something they know nothing about, I would say it's unreasonable for them not to at least help you.
 
Cheers buddy, thought it would be a simple process. Is there anything I should look out for that might cause issues?
 
The most common issues are around permissions, but if you're upgrading in place and keeping the same service accounts you should be OK - it's more of a problem when moving to a new server.

It may be worth running a DBCC CHECKDB before you start just to make sure you don't have any issues in the database prior to migration. There are a couple of internal things that crop up sometimes, usually when the DB was created in SQL 2000, that this will show up. It usually gives you the command to use to fix the problem.

If you don't rebuild indexes in a maintenance plan regularly, it would be a good idea to do this after migration and put a maintenance plan in place to do that once you're finished.
 
Brilliant stuff.

I've been given the go a head to start the process so I'm going to start planning it with the relevant members of staff.
 
http://www.slideshare.net/talktosavjani/sql-2012-upgradeguide

This is a useful guide, i am just doing an upgrade at the moment. But i am doing a side by side upgrade of 2005-2012. It seems daunting but i think it turned out easier than i thought it was, the 2012 setup auto setups all the accounts and if you are upgrading in place that could be easy process of just running the setup and making sure the dbs are compatible at the application level.
 
I done the upgrade yesterday, had a few issues but that was down to permissions, which I managed to sort. A lot easier than I thought tbh
 
hamesy said:
The DBAs at work have refused to do it as they don't look after the database so it's left to myself and another guy who's got some knowledge.
Click to expand...

This sounds like the sort of **** I hear at work. As a Wintel engineer it ****s me right off.
 
I was very annoyed today, my new sql 2012 install, we had out first third party come in to install a new application database only for him to tell me that the Database collation was in case sensitive when it should be case insensitive. Looked at the old server and the default collation was insensitive. Only way to fix that would be to reinstall the default instance. So i ended up creating a second instance, which i wanted to avoid. How stupid of MS that you can't change the collation of default database post install without loads of hassle.

tl/dr didn't untick a box on the sql install and had to create a second instance as a result.

edit: screw it, i just uninstalled and reinstalled as only wanted one instance. Was quicker and easier than i expected.
 
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