how to take sql database backup without data [duplicate] - sql-server

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Closed 12 years ago.
Possible Duplicate:
Backup SQL Schema Only?
Anybody tell how to take sql database backup without data. i wanted to take all the tables and structures from sql server 2008. and import to another sql server 2008. i dont need the data.

Use "tasks" -> "Generate scripts" and choose what you want to script. Run, save to a file, open the file against the new database and run the script after changing the database name to match (if it changed)

First time you can use the script database option, as Otavio suggested.
Subsequent times you can use a tool like RedGate SQL Compare or the Compare Schema functionality of Visual Studio Database Edition. These tools allow you to synch schema (ie. 'table structure') from one database to another.

You can do this by making scripts.
The way to go is:
Right click the table you want to script to the other database.
Script table as: -> Create to New query window.

Related

Copying database from SQL Server 2008 to SQL Server 2016 [duplicate]

This question already has answers here:
Is there any way to generate database scripts from a SQL query in SQL Server?
(2 answers)
Closed 4 years ago.
I am presently using SQL Server 2008. I want to move the entire applications and database to SQL Server 2016 without data. i.e. I don't want to copy the entire data but I need all the tables and everything from the previous server. Can please anyone help me with this?
You'll want to script out each database. To do so:
right click on the database
tasks
generate scripts
using the wizard, choose all the data objects you want (tables, views, etc.) or all of them
save to a location
open the file from that location
boom, there is your code set up all your tables, etc. for your database!
Just repeat for each database you want to 'copy'. Just remember (as requested) each table will have no data in it. Alternatively you can backup and restore each database and then truncate each table, that is probably a lot more work though.

Import database (SQL file) in SQL Server Management Studio

I've created the structure of my database first in PhpMyAdmin and exported it to a .sql file.
Now I'm looking everywhere in SQL Server Management Studio where I can import/add the data in a new database.
Does anybody where to look or what to click?
I'm using the 2014 version (CTP2)
If you have a .sql file which contains SQL statements, you can just copy and paste the contents (or open the file in a query window) and run it. This assumes it has all of the create table etc. statements to create the schema/structure and not just insert statements for the data.
Check the top of the file to make sure that it is first selecting the correct database, if not add a USE statement to select the correct database.
You didn't say how big the file was, but if it is quite large and has the insert statements (data as well as schema), then you'll probably want to run by CLI using sqlcmd command. Much faster and SSMS won't freak out.
Another alternative option to running the .sql file/code is to set up a data source for mysql and just use odbc to access the database itself.
Bear in mind that there are real and very annoying differences between mysql and t-sql that can make migration a pain. If you're just creating a few tables, it may not be an issue, but if there are a ton of tables with lots of fields of different data types, you may run into issues.
If you are looking to import table structure, you can copy-paste the content and run inside SSMS in a query window. Beware of syntax differences with MySQL and SQL Server. You will most likely get errors. You need to convert your SQL script from MySQL dialect to SQL Server dialect (or just add them manually if they are not too many). If you set the databases to a SQL standard-compatibility mode at the very beginning, you will have much less trouble.
If you are ONLY looking just to import the data into existing tables inside the SQL Server only, you can do the same (i.e. copy-paste and run in query window). You will have less trouble with that.
Open the server, open "Databases" and right click the database, go to "Tasks" and then Import Data...
I have had the most 'trouble free' success importing to SQL via a flat file method (comma delimited .txt file), the only stipulation when creating a flat file (i.e from Access) make sure the text identifier is set to {none} and not "".
To import the file: in the SQL Server Management Studio right click on Databases and create a new database. Then right click on the new database -> Tasks -> Import Data... The import window opens: in the DATA SOURCE option select Flat File Source and select the .txt file...click NEXT. In the DESTINATION field select SQL Server Native Client 11.0 and go through the import process. This worked very well for me.

Create a copy of production databases, without any data?

I need to create a copy of all of our production databases (SQLServer), without any data.
I need to do this on a regular basis, preferably scheduled and not manually.
Do I have to write code that extracts from systables and builds whe SQL-statements itself or is there a good way to do this?
As there is a method to do that in SQL Management Studio:
Select a database
right click
tasks
generate script
etc ...
You can then save the script generated as an sql file.
Once the script set, and if it is T-SQL, you can just add it to the jobs of your server. .And if you have only a SQL EXPRESS server (with no job schedule), I remember it was possible, a few years ago, to find some free products on the net that would do the job.

Sql Server Scripting Data Only: Workaround for CyclicalForeignKeyException?

I have a SQL Server DB that I want to script data for from a single table. When I try this I get the CyclicalForeignKeyException- presumably because somewhere there is an FK cycle, which is fine. This seems to be an annoying limitation of SQL Server, and in my case, I'm using SQL Server 2008 R2.
The 3 suggestions I've read for this are:
Get rid of the cycles. (Not an option as I don't want to modify this DB.)
Temporarily remove the keys and reset them afterwards. (Not an option for the same reason.)
Script all objects in the DB. (This would be possible, but this DB is large so this it not an ideal solution.)
Another similar suggestion I read was to backup the DB and restore a temp copy, remove the FKs, then get the data. But again since the DB is large, this isn't ideal either.
Any one have another idea?
Wow- I can't believe this worked...
I have a similar version of the DB I was trying to get data for on another machine. This time when I ran the tool it worked. (By tool I mean: Tasks->Generate Scripts... select 1 table, in advanced, change "Types of data to script" to "Data only".)
At first I thought this other version of the DB must not have the cyclical keys, but then I realized that I was using SQL Server Management Studio 2012 Express. So then I closed SSMS, did a runas /netonly with the domain user and opened SSMS 2012 and connected to the SQL Server 2008 R2 DB. I retried to generate the script and it worked!
Apparently SSMS 2012 fixed this "issue" and you can even use it against other DB versions!

SQL Server: Copy Stored Procedures [duplicate]

This question already has answers here:
SQL Server - copy stored procedures from one db to another
(11 answers)
Closed 9 years ago.
Is there an easy way to copy all stored procedures from one database to another? I have SQL Management Studio installed.
In SQL 2005 and 2008 management: Right click on the database, choose tasks -> generate scripts. You should be able to follow the directions in the wizard from there.
In Sql 2000 you can actually just select the procedures you want to copy, ctrl+c to copy them, then paste them into a new query window for the other DB and run it.
You can script objects out with SQL Management Studio by right clicking the database name and clicking script objects(or something like that I'm not on my Windows machine right now to check). You can select to do just the stored procs and select to have all the output go to one file instead of 1 file per an object. Once you have them in one file you can run that file against your database.
Also look into Red Gate Software's tool called SQL Compare
http://www.red-gate.com/products/SQL_Compare/index.htm
It's not free but does have a free trial.

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