Comments on: Unable to restore backup from 2008 R2 to 2008 http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/2009/10/05/unable-to-restore-backup-from-2008-r2-to-2008/ Making SQL do what we want it to do. Sat, 06 Aug 2011 03:28:56 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Mike G http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/2009/10/05/unable-to-restore-backup-from-2008-r2-to-2008/comment-page-1/#comment-6289 Mike G Sun, 24 Jul 2011 05:44:21 +0000 http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/?p=70#comment-6289 @Adam, agreed - MS probably could release a hotfix for 2008 to allow it to restore 2008R2 databases. But they probably weighed up the cost of this dev cycle, vs getting a tech writer to publish a note saying 'you can't restore 2008R2 databases to 2008' - and went with the latter. I'm always very leery about changing, and mixing, SQL Server versions! Maybe not as much as changing/mixing OS, but I have hit the odd nasty problem by assuming that SQL vX will be near enough the same as SQL vX.1. They are different products that require a planned upgrade, even if that plan is short. @Adam, agreed – MS probably could release a hotfix for 2008 to allow it to restore 2008R2 databases. But they probably weighed up the cost of this dev cycle, vs getting a tech writer to publish a note saying ‘you can’t restore 2008R2 databases to 2008′ – and went with the latter.

I’m always very leery about changing, and mixing, SQL Server versions! Maybe not as much as changing/mixing OS, but I have hit the odd nasty problem by assuming that SQL vX will be near enough the same as SQL vX.1. They are different products that require a planned upgrade, even if that plan is short.

]]> By: Mike G http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/2009/10/05/unable-to-restore-backup-from-2008-r2-to-2008/comment-page-1/#comment-6288 Mike G Sun, 24 Jul 2011 05:28:55 +0000 http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/?p=70#comment-6288 My understanding is that, say, a 2008R2 database in 80 compatibility mode was still a 2008R2 database, but with an emulation layer across it to make it behave like SQL 2000. Otherwise MS would basically have to include ALL of SQL 2000 within 2008R2, to make it compatible from the byte level up. I've certainly been burned before with databases that stopped working from 2005 to 2008, compatibility setting or no, because the optimizer changed and queries that used to run fast suddenly took minutes to run. Are you able to take a SQL 2008 database set to 80 compatibility level and restore it on a SQL 2000 box? I have no idea, but I'd assume not. From memory, even 2008SP1 databases wouldn't back-restore to 2008. Hmm, a backport via scripting shouldn't be unreasonable even for large databases (though agreed, 200GB would be pushing it a lot!) - or backport the schema and use SSIS or linked server queries to bring the data across. Slow but you'll get there in the end. Guess the main thing though - start by assuming that the upgrade will fail and that downgrades via backup/restore will NOT work, and then TEST before doing anything irrevocable. Also assume that if your dev environment is 2008R2 and prod is 2008, then even if migration works fine, you'll end up with nasty, subtle incompatibilities that don't show up til the demo for the CEO... My understanding is that, say, a 2008R2 database in 80 compatibility mode was still a 2008R2 database, but with an emulation layer across it to make it behave like SQL 2000. Otherwise MS would basically have to include ALL of SQL 2000 within 2008R2, to make it compatible from the byte level up.

I’ve certainly been burned before with databases that stopped working from 2005 to 2008, compatibility setting or no, because the optimizer changed and queries that used to run fast suddenly took minutes to run.

Are you able to take a SQL 2008 database set to 80 compatibility level and restore it on a SQL 2000 box? I have no idea, but I’d assume not. From memory, even 2008SP1 databases wouldn’t back-restore to 2008.

Hmm, a backport via scripting shouldn’t be unreasonable even for large databases (though agreed, 200GB would be pushing it a lot!) – or backport the schema and use SSIS or linked server queries to bring the data across. Slow but you’ll get there in the end.

Guess the main thing though – start by assuming that the upgrade will fail and that downgrades via backup/restore will NOT work, and then TEST before doing anything irrevocable. Also assume that if your dev environment is 2008R2 and prod is 2008, then even if migration works fine, you’ll end up with nasty, subtle incompatibilities that don’t show up til the demo for the CEO…

]]> By: Slavius http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/2009/10/05/unable-to-restore-backup-from-2008-r2-to-2008/comment-page-1/#comment-6214 Slavius Fri, 22 Jul 2011 07:52:34 +0000 http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/?p=70#comment-6214 Mike, you're confusing SQL Server version and database compatibility level. We're using databases in 80 compatibility level on servers running SQL 2000, 2005, 2008 and 2008R2. There is no way for us to misuse functions whatever SQL server we want to downgrade. Why the heck shouldn't we be able to restore it from 2008R2 to earlier versions? Size of these databases varies from 5 to 200GB, exporting scripts is not an option! Mike, you’re confusing SQL Server version and database compatibility level. We’re using databases in 80 compatibility level on servers running SQL 2000, 2005, 2008 and 2008R2. There is no way for us to misuse functions whatever SQL server we want to downgrade. Why the heck shouldn’t we be able to restore it from 2008R2 to earlier versions? Size of these databases varies from 5 to 200GB, exporting scripts is not an option!

]]> By: Adam Bean http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/2009/10/05/unable-to-restore-backup-from-2008-r2-to-2008/comment-page-1/#comment-1267 Adam Bean Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:38:45 +0000 http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/?p=70#comment-1267 I agree Mike, R2 is a new release, but the actual databases themselves and supporting objects have not changed all that much to as where they couldn't simply apply a backwards compatibility script post restore. I agree Mike, R2 is a new release, but the actual databases themselves and supporting objects have not changed all that much to as where they couldn’t simply apply a backwards compatibility script post restore.

]]> By: Mike G http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/2009/10/05/unable-to-restore-backup-from-2008-r2-to-2008/comment-page-1/#comment-1254 Mike G Sun, 28 Nov 2010 22:04:15 +0000 http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/?p=70#comment-1254 @Cliff - I really don't get what you're complaining about here. Down version restores have NEVER worked, and with good reason - if they did, someone would indeed try to downgrade their SQL server as a Disaster Recovery option and then discover that their application uses some of the functionality of the new version and nothing works. It's not like it's even hard to just script out the schema and data to downgrade. But I really don't have much sympathy here, if you put the latest toys on your dev box, don't expect anything to work when you try to move your stuff across to the older stuff that's running elsewhere. Frankly I'm astonished why anyone would expect to be able to go from a later to an earlier version of SQL via backup/restore. Is it the naming that is confusing you, maybe? SQL SERVER 2008 R2 IS A NEW VERSION, not a service pack! In other news, no you can't go from 2008 R2 to SQL Server 6.5 either... @Cliff – I really don’t get what you’re complaining about here. Down version restores have NEVER worked, and with good reason – if they did, someone would indeed try to downgrade their SQL server as a Disaster Recovery option and then discover that their application uses some of the functionality of the new version and nothing works.

It’s not like it’s even hard to just script out the schema and data to downgrade. But I really don’t have much sympathy here, if you put the latest toys on your dev box, don’t expect anything to work when you try to move your stuff across to the older stuff that’s running elsewhere.

Frankly I’m astonished why anyone would expect to be able to go from a later to an earlier version of SQL via backup/restore. Is it the naming that is confusing you, maybe? SQL SERVER 2008 R2 IS A NEW VERSION, not a service pack! In other news, no you can’t go from 2008 R2 to SQL Server 6.5 either…

]]> By: Cliff Buckley http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/2009/10/05/unable-to-restore-backup-from-2008-r2-to-2008/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Cliff Buckley Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:40:59 +0000 http://www.sqlslayer.com/wp/?p=70#comment-3 Sometimes I just hate Microsoft. They make some things so easy then go slackjawed with other things. It's somewhat understandable with as many developers and pieces/parts they have working in SQL, but backups? Disaster recovery should be thier first focus, then feature enhancements and bug fixes. Sometimes I just hate Microsoft. They make some things so easy then go slackjawed with other things. It’s somewhat understandable with as many developers and pieces/parts they have working in SQL, but backups? Disaster recovery should be thier first focus, then feature enhancements and bug fixes.

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