Skip to content

move-user-databases.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
190 lines (142 loc) · 10.5 KB

move-user-databases.md

File metadata and controls

190 lines (142 loc) · 10.5 KB
title Move User Databases
description Move User Databases
author WilliamDAssafMSFT
ms.author wiassaf
ms.date 11/02/2021
ms.service sql
ms.topic conceptual
helpviewer_keywords
disaster recovery [SQL Server], moving database files
database files [SQL Server], moving
data files [SQL Server], moving
editions [SQL Server], moving databases between
moving full-text catalogs
scheduled disk maintenace [SQL Server]
moving databases
full-text catalogs [SQL Server], moving
moving database files
moving user databases
relocating database files
planned database relocations [SQL Server]
databases [SQL Server], moving

Move User Databases

[!INCLUDE SQL Server] In [!INCLUDEssNoVersion], you can move the data, log, and full-text catalog files of a user database to a new location by specifying the new file location in the FILENAME clause of the ALTER DATABASE statement. This method applies to moving database files within the same instance [!INCLUDEssNoVersion]. To move a database to another instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] or to another server, use backup and restore or detach and attach operations.

Note

This article covers moving user database files. For moving system database files, see Move System Databases.

Considerations

When you move a database onto another server instance, to provide a consistent experience to users and applications, you might have to re-create some or all the metadata for the database. For more information, see Manage Metadata When Making a Database Available on Another Server Instance (SQL Server).

Some features of the [!INCLUDEssDEnoversion] change the way that the [!INCLUDEssDE] stores information in the database files. These features are restricted to specific editions of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion]. A database that contains these features cannot be moved to an edition of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] that does not support them. Use the sys.dm_db_persisted_sku_features dynamic management view to list all edition-specific features that are enabled in the current database.

The procedures in this article require the logical name of the database files. To obtain the name, query the name column in the sys.master_files catalog view.

Starting with [!INCLUDEsql2008r2], full-text catalogs are integrated into the database rather than being stored in the file system. The full-text catalogs now move automatically when you move a database.

Note

Make sure the service account for the SQL Server Database Services service has permissions to the new file location in the file system. For more information, see Configure File System Permissions for Database Engine Access.

Planned Relocation Procedure

To move a data or log file as part of a planned relocation, follow these steps:

  1. For each file to be moved, run the following statement.

    ALTER DATABASE database_name MODIFY FILE ( NAME = logical_name, FILENAME = 'new_path\os_file_name' );

  2. Run the following statement to bring the database offline.

    ALTER DATABASE database_name SET OFFLINE;

    This action requires exclusive access to the database. If another connection is open to the database, the ALTER DATABASE statement will be blocked until all connections are closed. To override this behavior, use the WITH <termination> clause. For example, to automatically rollback and disconnect all other connections to the database, use:

    ALTER DATABASE database_name SET OFFLINE WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE;

  3. Move the file or files to the new location.

  4. Run the following statement.

    ALTER DATABASE database_name SET ONLINE;

  5. Verify the file change by running the following query.

    SELECT name, physical_name AS CurrentLocation, state_desc  
FROM sys.master_files  
WHERE database_id = DB_ID(N'<database_name>');

Relocation for Scheduled Disk Maintenance

To relocate a file as part of a scheduled disk maintenance process, follow these steps:

  1. For each file to be moved, run the following statement.

    ALTER DATABASE database_name MODIFY FILE ( NAME = logical_name , FILENAME = 'new_path\os_file_name' );

  2. Stop the instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] or shut down the system to perform maintenance. For more information, see Start, Stop, Pause, Resume, Restart the Database Engine, SQL Server Agent, or SQL Server Browser Service.

  3. Move the file or files to the new location.

  4. Restart the instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] or the server. For more information, see Start, Stop, Pause, Resume, Restart the Database Engine, SQL Server Agent, or SQL Server Browser Service

  5. Verify the file change by running the following query.

    SELECT name, physical_name AS CurrentLocation, state_desc  
FROM sys.master_files  
WHERE database_id = DB_ID(N'<database_name>');

Failure Recovery Procedure

If a file must be moved because of a hardware failure, use the following steps to relocate the file to a new location.

Important

If the database cannot be started, that is it is in suspect mode or in an unrecovered state, only members of the sysadmin fixed role can move the file.

  1. Stop the instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] if it is started.

  2. Start the instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] in master-only recovery mode by entering one of the following commands at the command prompt.

    • For the default (MSSQLSERVER) instance, run the following command.

      NET START MSSQLSERVER /f /T3608

    • For a named instance, run the following command.

      NET START MSSQL$instancename /f /T3608

    For more information, see Start, Stop, Pause, Resume, Restart the Database Engine, SQL Server Agent, or SQL Server Browser Service.

  3. For each file to be moved, use sqlcmd commands or [!INCLUDEssManStudioFull] to run the following statement.

    ALTER DATABASE database_name MODIFY FILE( NAME = logical_name , FILENAME = 'new_path\os_file_name' );

    For more information about how to use the sqlcmd utility, see Use the sqlcmd Utility.

  4. Exit the sqlcmd utility or [!INCLUDEssManStudioFull].

  5. Stop the instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion].

  6. Move the file or files to the new location.

  7. Start the instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion]. For example, run: NET START MSSQLSERVER.

  8. Verify the file change by running the following query.

    SELECT name, physical_name AS CurrentLocation, state_desc  
FROM sys.master_files  
WHERE database_id = DB_ID(N'<database_name>');

Examples

The following example moves the [!INCLUDEssSampleDBobject] log file to a new location as part of a planned relocation.

USE master;  
GO  
-- Return the logical file name.  
SELECT name, physical_name AS CurrentLocation, state_desc  
FROM sys.master_files  
WHERE database_id = DB_ID(N'AdventureWorks2022')  
    AND type_desc = N'LOG';  
GO  
ALTER DATABASE AdventureWorks2022 SET OFFLINE;  
GO  
-- Physically move the file to a new location.  
-- In the following statement, modify the path specified in FILENAME to  
-- the new location of the file on your server.  
ALTER DATABASE AdventureWorks2022   
    MODIFY FILE ( NAME = AdventureWorks2022_Log,   
                  FILENAME = 'C:\NewLoc\AdventureWorks2022_Log.ldf');  
GO  
ALTER DATABASE AdventureWorks2022 SET ONLINE;  
GO  
--Verify the new location.  
SELECT name, physical_name AS CurrentLocation, state_desc  
FROM sys.master_files  
WHERE database_id = DB_ID(N'AdventureWorks2022')  
    AND type_desc = N'LOG';

See Also