Cannot restore a database with a .bak file due to another SQL server version - sql-server

I have installed SQL server 2008 R2 and i try to restore a database a colleague sent me in a .bak file.
Unfortunately, i cannot restore the database since the database was saved on a server from version 10.50.1600 and my SQL server version seems to be 10.00.1600.
I tried to upgrade my SQL server with SP1 and SP2 packs but it didn't change anything.
Otherwise, i noticed by clicking on the server property that the line "product" displays Microsoft SQL server Express edition even though i have installed SQL server 2008 R2. That's at least what is displayed when i fire it...
Can anyone help me ?
Thanks in advance

You CANNOT do this - you cannot attach/detach or backup/restore a database from a newer version (SQL Server 2008 R2 - 10.50.1600) of SQL Server down to an older version (2008 - v10.00.1600) - the internal file structures are just too different to support backwards compatibility.
You can either get around this problem by
using the same version of SQL Server on all your machines - then you can easily backup/restore databases between instances
otherwise you can create the database scripts for both structure (tables, view, stored procedures etc.) and for contents (the actual data contained in the tables) either in SQL Server Management Studio (Tasks > Generate Scripts) or using a third-party tool
or you can use a third-party tool like Red-Gate's SQL Compare and SQL Data Compare to do "diffing" between your source and target, generate update scripts from those differences, and then execute those scripts on the target platform; this works across different SQL Server versions.

Understand, what the version numbers mean. You need to be on R2 which is not just a patch or service-pack.

Related

Using the same database on different versions of SQL Server

We have several SQL Server databases at work and we plan to keep all of them in a Database Server. However, while we use SQL Server 2014 in some of the databases, there is also a database (let's say ABC) with the version of SQL Server 2008 R2.
The problem is that; ABC is a database originated from another company and sometimes it is updated by them using scripts, etc. So, this means that we have to go together with the version they use. As far as I know, it is possible to restore a database of version 2008 R2 in the version of 2014 but the reverse operation is not possible (to restore a database of version 2014 in the version of 2008 R2).
So, in that case what is the best way to solve this problem by using the single database (SQL Server 2014) on the same server?
You can generate database from the 2014, 2008 compatible. You can dig into the advanced option and you will find creating scripts for triggers, indexes and all dependent objects.
Generate Scripts
Choose Compatibility
Specify Data generating scripts
The server could be 2014.
You just need get SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) version 2008 and generate backup using it.
You could have lots of SSMS versions.

How to Migrate TFS SQL Server 2014 DB to 2012

We are using TFS 2013 and SQL Server 2014. A client of ours is requesting the TFS project and also uses TFS 2013 but with SQL Server 2012. How can we go about migrating? Will a simple backup and restore work when downgrading from 2014 to 2012?
You CANNOT do this - you cannot attach/detach or backup/restore a database from a newer version (like 2014) of SQL Server down to an older version (SQL Server 2012) - the internal file structures are just too different to support backwards compatibility.
And no - setting the compatibility level to 110 (for SQL Server 2012) in SQL Server 2014 also doesn't help ; it will prevent your T-SQL code from using new SQL Server 2014 T-SQL features, but it does not change the internals of the database file in any way, shape or form.
You can either get around this problem by:
using the same version of SQL Server on all your machines - then you can easily backup/restore databases between instances
otherwise you can create the database scripts for both structure (tables, view, stored procedures etc.) and for contents (the actual data contained in the tables) either in SQL Server Management Studio (Tasks > Generate Scripts) or using a third-party tool
or you can use a third-party tool like Red-Gate's SQL Compare and SQL Data Compare to do "diffing" between your source and target, generate update scripts from those differences, and then execute those scripts on the target platform; this works across different SQL Server versions.
Update by #MrHinsh:
WARNING: While these options may work for your own database projects it will NOT work for TFS. Changing the Database schema, moving data, or editing the tables will BREAK TFS and will invalidate your support agreement with MSFT
Backup / restore isn't a viable approach here - no version of SQL Server knows what was changed in the database files' formats for the next version.
So copy database schema and data from 2014 to 2012 and pray it will work - chances are, it wouldn't. There should be an Import / Export wizard in SSMS, at least it was there before.

Database created in XP to be opened on Vista

I have a database in SQL server which is created on xp and to be opened on vista
When i try opening it on Vista.
Would this be possible
Thanks
Sun
SQL Server creates files that SQL Server can read. The file formats are independent of Windows versions.
What you should be aware of/considering are SQL Server versions and editions.
For instance, if you create a DB using SQL Server 2008 R2, you will not be able to attach/restore such a database using SQL Server 2005 or 2008, no matter what OS you're working on.
Similarly, if you've applied a particular service pack to the installation where the .mdf originates, you need to be working at the same or later service pack on the system where you want to read the file.
Similarly, if you create a database that uses features that are only available in higher level editions of SQL Server - i.e. something only available in Enterprise/Developer edition - you may have issues using the same database on a Standard Edition installation.
You don't open a sql server database with "xp" or "vista". You open the database in Sql Server. That's all that matters here: does the machine have the correct version of Sql Server available? Note that no version of Windows ships with Sql Server installed by default.
Also, unless you're talking about Sql Server Compact Edition you might want to re-think this. Full editions of Sql Server belong on the server editions of Windows. If you're building a database for an app that will live on individual user's desktop and the database will only serve the instance of the app on the machine, do not use sql server for that database. Instead, use something like Sql Server Compact Edition (it uses a different engine than full sql server that is more desktop-friendly), SQLite, or even Access.
Yes, there is no reason why this should not work.
As #Demian said, you can not open database created in SQL Server 2008 R2 in SQL Server 2008. But alternatively if you are sure that your database is not using any features specific to R2, you can script out whole database and then create similar database by running those scripts into SQL Server 2008 (ofcourse with some changes in script). And then just write some insert scripts to import data from 2008R2 to 2008 (Or you can use SSIS to dump data from one location to another location)
I think the question itself is pretty unclear. No explaination of environment of both XP and Vista machines (e.g. DBMS versions including SPs) or how you are trying to open/access database (using attach or by restoring backup). Without proper information I don't think there is any EXACT solution.

How can I get a SQL Server 2005 compatible backup from SQL Server 2008 database?

I have a sql server 2008 db, I want to restore its backup to a 2005 version. Is there any way for this work?
Note: I can't make a script from my db and run it.
No. It is not possible to restore a database from a backup of a newer version.
The only solution I have come accross is generating a script, but it seems that you do not want to use this
Unfortunately, SQL Server has never supported this - and still doesn't :-(
There is no way you can create a backup in a newer version and restore it in a previous version - and this goes from SQL Server 4.2 all the way through 2008 R2.
All you can do is either create scripts and run them on the target server, or use tools like SQL Compare and SQL Data Compare to compare the two databases and update the target database from the source (basically, what these tools do is create and execute the necessary scripts in the background, so you won't have to fiddle and create those scripts yourself)

Configure VS2008 to create SQL Server databases instead of SQL Server Express?

Probably asked and answered before, but difficult to search for.
In VS2008 when you right-click App_Data folder and create new database, it attempts to create a SQL Server Express database. Well I have SQL Server 2005 Standard installed and have thus uninstalled Express. How do I get VS2008 configured to know I want SQL Server databases (NOT Express) created?
SQL Server Express databases are SQL Server databases and vice-versa. While is true that the SQL Server 2008 database files format is different from SQL Server 2005 one, whthin the same version (2005, 2005 SP1, 2005 SP2, 2008 , 2008 SP1 etc etc) all SKUs (Express, Standard, Exnterprise etc) have all the same datbase format.
Yout Visual Studio tools are guiding you down the wrong path. You should not use the Solution Explorer to add a database to the App_Data folder. Instead you should use the Server Explorer tool (menu View/Server xplorer or press Ctrl+W,L) and connect to your SQL Server 2005 instance. Then use the Server Explorer tool to explore the database. To connect to the database from your solution, add a connection string to the web.config file.
While you can manage the database objects from the Server Explorer, thar is a horrible way to do it and will cause only pain on the long run. You should instead create deployment scripts with DDL statements and run those scripts when the solution is deployed. This way your database metadata is part of your source control and you can keep track of application database versions, see Version Control and your Database.

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