Move SQL 2000 data to new SAN, same drive letter

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Ken - 23 Aug 2006 01:15 GMT

We need to move our existing SQL 2000 data to a new SAN.

If I move/copy the database files to the new SAN but remap to the same
drive letter, do I need to perform a detach/attach of the databases?

Assume the databases will be offline. The cluster node running SQL will
remain untouched apart from mapping the new SAN volume.

thanks,
Ken

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Linchi Shea - 23 Aug 2006 03:56 GMT

If you do the drive letter swap while the SQL instance is offline, you should
be able to bring up the SQL instance without it noticing a thing.

Linchi

> We need to move our existing SQL 2000 data to a new SAN.
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> thanks,
> Ken

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Ken - 23 Aug 2006 14:22 GMT

Great. Thanks for the reply.

> If you do the drive letter swap while the SQL instance is offline, you should
> be able to bring up the SQL instance without it noticing a thing.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> > thanks,
> > Ken

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Tom D - 23 Aug 2006 21:02 GMT

Hi

Are you sure it will be that easy? Won't the clustering services look at the
new san volumes as new drives because the ID's will be different?

I'm always confused on this point

Thanks

Tom D

> Great. Thanks for the reply.
>
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> > > thanks,
> > > Ken

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Geoff N. Hiten - 23 Aug 2006 22:28 GMT

I have done this before except it was remapping the drive letters to new
LUNS on the same SAN. It works just fine. The OS and MSCS know it is a
different resource, but SQL only looks at drive letters and paths when
locating data files. The key is to make sure SQL is shut down cleanly and
stans down during the entire process. Also, make sure the paths are exactly
the same after copying.

Signature

Geoff N. Hiten
Senior Database Administrator
Microsoft SQL Server MVP

> Hi
>
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>> > > thanks,
>> > > Ken

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Tom D - 24 Aug 2006 13:30 GMT

Thanks Geoff!

> I have done this before except it was remapping the drive letters to new
> LUNS on the same SAN. It works just fine. The OS and MSCS know it is a
[quoted text clipped - 35 lines]
> >> > > thanks,
> >> > > Ken

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Russ Kaufmann (MVP) - 25 Aug 2006 07:28 GMT

> We need to move our existing SQL 2000 data to a new SAN.
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Assume the databases will be offline. The cluster node running SQL will
> remain untouched apart from mapping the new SAN volume.

This should help:
http://msmvps.com/blogs/clusterhelp/archive/2005/08/05/61741.aspx

To answer your question directly, you do not need to detach/attach if you
have the databases offline and the new LUNs will have the same drive letters
in the cluster.

Signature

Russ Kaufmann
MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
ClusterHelp.com, a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
Web http://www.clusterhelp.com
Blog http://msmvps.com/clusterhelp

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Ken - 30 Aug 2006 01:27 GMT

> > We need to move our existing SQL 2000 data to a new SAN.
> >
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> Web http://www.clusterhelp.com
> Blog http://msmvps.com/clusterhelp

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Just a follow-up. I performed the
procedure last weekend and everything went according to plan. The SQL
databases and services were all taken offline. The old SQL drive
letters were remapped on the new SAN and the services restarted.
Everything started as expected. SQL didn't squawk at all.
I did have to perform a couple of cluster node reboots so Disk Manager
would free up the old drive letter.

Ken

PS. I need to perform the same process for Exchange. Any one happen to
know if it will work the same way?

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Russ Kaufmann (MVP) - 01 Sep 2006 00:06 GMT

>> This should help:
>> http://msmvps.com/blogs/clusterhelp/archive/2005/08/05/61741.aspx
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> PS. I need to perform the same process for Exchange. Any one happen to
> know if it will work the same way?

Yep, it will work the same way for Exchange.

Signature

Russ Kaufmann
MVP - Windows Server - Clustering
ClusterHelp.com, a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
Web http://www.clusterhelp.com
Blog http://msmvps.com/clusterhelp

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