Renaming a SQL SERVER

[TYLERDAVIS]

I am in the process of doing several server upgrades. I plan on upgrading the servers to new equiptment. What I would like to do is set up the server and install sql and some other apps. After the server build is complete I would like to back up my current database and restore it to my new machine. Then change the new servers name to reflect the old servers name. The new servers will be running SQL Server 7.0 and Win 2k. The old servers are Running SQL server 7.0 and Win NT .

My question is can a SQL server be renammed without doing a entire install.

Any info that could be passed along my way would be appriciated.

 

[Corran007]

Yes it can. We had to do a machine swap for one of our production machines.

Here was the process we did.

Built new machine with different name with sql7 installed and patched up to level of old machine.
Did remote restore from old machine of backup to new machine (faster than copying backup file and then restoring)

got new machine correctly configured.

Disconected old machine for network.
Renamed new machine to old machine name.
After the reboot, restart the install process for the sql7.
It will relize the machine name is incorrect and fix it. After the install is complete(its not a ture install and takes almost no time), you may have to reboot, but its esentially done.

New machine with old name. Just remember to not plug the old one into the network with the same name or ip. Networks tend not to like that.

Best thing to do is practice and test it to make sure there are no issues. We had issues with some of our software that would not work after a rename. we just had to install it after we renamed the system