Restore to Different Server

[MagnumVP]

Does anyone know if this is possible or a location of some documentation that explains this?

I'm planning my disaster recovery of a SQL 2000 server. I have a backup SQL server that is just sitting there...just in ase the first ones dies.

Every night the SQL server is backed-up to Tape. If that server were to go down can I just restore it to the backup server and mount the DB?

I can't find any documentation on "Restoring a DB to a Different Server"

Any thoughts?

 

[JayKusch]

Yes you can do that! Just create shell DBs on the warm server that mirror the current DBs that are on your production box. When the failure happens, start the restore on the warm server. The only issue you may run into is if the directory structures are different on each server. So for example you production MDFs and LDFs are in the D:\MyDir folder ... when you restore the backup on the warm server, the restore is going to try to put them in the same folder on this server. SO .. you can either create the exact folder structures to mirror each other or you can tweak the restore job to create the backed up MDFs/LDFs in new locations.



Thanks

J. Kusch

 

[JayKusch]

A couple of things to keep in mind here ...

1. Better check you backups periodically to make sure they are valid. It not a good time to check this status when your production server has just went down hard.

2. If your system is critical, can you afford to be down x-amount of time while the restore is taking place.

3. You will also have to replicate your user accounts on the warm server for all to be well.

4. May want to take a look at Log Shipping for a cheap solution to get a stand by server up and running in a timely manner.

5. There is also replication and clustering but then you start dealing with money and complexity issues.

Hope this helps!

Thanks

J. Kusch

 

[MagnumVP]

Thanks for the information. It is very helpful.

Has anyone come across any documentation on this issue?

 

[JayKusch]

Here ya go ...

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/adminsql/ad_1_server_7ypf.asp

Thanks

J. Kusch

 

[MagnumVP]

B-E-A-Utiful...thanks