Rename a SQL Server 2000 virtual server (Workaround)

I have read from the MS SQL Server 2000 High Availability book by Allan Hirt
that Renaming a SQL Server 2000 virtual server is neither possible or
supported.
What is a workaround to this procedure if you would like to move your
present virtual server to a new server? The database is 300 GB in size and
you have only several hours downtime.
Thanks.
You can manually log ship your database to the new system. I am assuming
you have a way to change your client connections fairly rapidly and you
don't have a huge number of logins to redo. You can log ship the database
and keep it only a little bit behind. You lock out the users (change
passwords is good) and backup/restore the last log bits. Shut down the
source, change the connection info, apply the tail of the log to the new
server and you are off to the races. Ideally, this can be done in less than
a hour IF you plan and test carefully.
Geoff N. Hiten
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Senior Database Administrator
Careerbuilder.com
I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
www.sqlpass.org
"Joe K." <JoeK@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:223534F8-06D7-4691-A3BD-E03091AFC330@.microsoft.com...
> I have read from the MS SQL Server 2000 High Availability book by Allan
Hirt
> that Renaming a SQL Server 2000 virtual server is neither possible or
> supported.
> What is a workaround to this procedure if you would like to move your
> present virtual server to a new server? The database is 300 GB in size
and
> you have only several hours downtime.
> Thanks.
|||I can corroborate what Geoff said. I'd just like to add that, if you set up
your app servers to point to an IP address and not the virtual server name,
then you can just change the IP's of the virtual servers once you have
shipped the last log.
Tom
Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA
SQL Server MVP
Columnist, SQL Server Professional
Toronto, ON Canada
www.pinnaclepublishing.com
"Geoff N. Hiten" <SRDBA@.Careerbuilder.com> wrote in message
news:u%23$o3FIwEHA.2600@.TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
You can manually log ship your database to the new system. I am assuming
you have a way to change your client connections fairly rapidly and you
don't have a huge number of logins to redo. You can log ship the database
and keep it only a little bit behind. You lock out the users (change
passwords is good) and backup/restore the last log bits. Shut down the
source, change the connection info, apply the tail of the log to the new
server and you are off to the races. Ideally, this can be done in less than
a hour IF you plan and test carefully.
Geoff N. Hiten
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Senior Database Administrator
Careerbuilder.com
I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
www.sqlpass.org
"Joe K." <JoeK@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:223534F8-06D7-4691-A3BD-E03091AFC330@.microsoft.com...
> I have read from the MS SQL Server 2000 High Availability book by Allan
Hirt
> that Renaming a SQL Server 2000 virtual server is neither possible or
> supported.
> What is a workaround to this procedure if you would like to move your
> present virtual server to a new server? The database is 300 GB in size
and
> you have only several hours downtime.
> Thanks.
|||Tom Moreau wrote:
> I can corroborate what Geoff said. I'd just like to add that, if you
> set up your app servers to point to an IP address and not the virtual
> server name, then you can just change the IP's of the virtual servers
> once you have shipped the last log.
I used to use a DNS alias instead of use the real name or ip address. Using
an alias it's possible to remap the pointer in DNS to the new server, flush
the dns cache, and the new server became operational for client access.
I use this method creating a DNS alias for every database. In this way I
have the possibility to move one (or more) database from one server to
another without change the connection string...

> Tom
Bye
Luca Bianchi
Microsoft MVP - SQL Server
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
http://italy.mvps.org
|||Hey, that's cool!
Tom
Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA
SQL Server MVP
Columnist, SQL Server Professional
Toronto, ON Canada
www.pinnaclepublishing.com
"Luca Bianchi" <rightjoinREMOVE_THIS@.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:2urj9lF2csdb6U1@.uni-berlin.de...
Tom Moreau wrote:
> I can corroborate what Geoff said. I'd just like to add that, if you
> set up your app servers to point to an IP address and not the virtual
> server name, then you can just change the IP's of the virtual servers
> once you have shipped the last log.
I used to use a DNS alias instead of use the real name or ip address. Using
an alias it's possible to remap the pointer in DNS to the new server, flush
the dns cache, and the new server became operational for client access.
I use this method creating a DNS alias for every database. In this way I
have the possibility to move one (or more) database from one server to
another without change the connection string...

> Tom
Bye
Luca Bianchi
Microsoft MVP - SQL Server
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
http://italy.mvps.org