Rebuilding SQL Server

[Jesus]

I am preparing to wipe and reinstall our SQL server. Although, once it's wiped and NT/SQL are reinstalled, how do you go about getting the SQL tables and databases back into it?

 

[Warcorp]

a couple of ways here to do this. First is to make a backup of the data using an sql agent on backup package (Arcserve, etc.). This will allow you to make backup of the data in place and will allow you to restore it to a newly installed SQL server. The second was I know is to make a database dump using the SQL manager, making sure you do a complete dump of data and transactions. Actually make a couple of them just to be sure you have a copy of the data. To be completely sure, make a full backup of the server itself, with SQL services stopped, just in case (You can't have too many backups of your data here). You also want to document information from the database such as master db size and the databse device names and sizes log names etc. Everything that has been customized to the actual database. Make sure you can restore a copy of the dumpfile to the server and once you have sql re-installed and the devices and databases recreated, restore the data to the appropriate database name using database manager.<br>
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Either way you do it, make lots and lots of backups, you can NEVER be too carefull...Trust technology but always protect you data..

 

[Graeme]

Make sure that you back up and dump the master database last, prior to destroying the server and preparing for re-install. "Master is and master it will be"