hi, I need someassistance with movingmy current MOSS 2007 setup to another server. Here is some info on the current setup. * MOSS 2007 install in done on one server - with IIS and SQL installed locally. What I would like to do is move all my current Web apps, database etc to the new server. The new server will be a stand alone server. How can I do this? I would like to keep existing settings, ports, content etc. The new server should be a replica of old server. Thanks, P

The catastrophic backup and restore option of stsadm will do this. The high-level proceedure is as follows: Perform a backup of your current environment. Code Snippetstsadm.exe -o backup -directory \\server\share -backupmethod full Install MOSS, SQL Server and all prerequisites on new server. Ensure you are using the same patch levels for all products on the new server as the old server. Run the SharePoint Technologies and Configuration Wizard on the new server, creating a new farm. Specify the new server as the database server. It does not matter what name you give the configuration database, or which port you set for Central Administration At this point, Central Administration should be accessible. Do NOT perform any configurations at this point. Do not set up services. Do not set up web applications and site collections. Do not setup the Shared Services Provider. Perform a restore using the backup you made in step 1. You can use Central Administrator or STSADM. In either case, you want to perform a NEW restore, and not an overwrite as this will affect your current environment. Make sure with either method, you specify the NEW database server name and the NEW URLs as necessary. Code Snippetstsadm.exe -o restore -directory \\server\share -restoremethod new Troubleshoot and resolve issues with Services, SSP and Search, features, templates, and web parts as necessary. Another method you can use involves manually configuring the new farm using the same settings as you used to configure the old farm (with appropriate changes to server names), and then performing a site collection backup and restore of your site collections. This method invovles knowing how your existing environment is configured, though it usually can result in less headaches with issues caused when restoring services and the SSP components. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, Jason

Jason Warren wrote: The catastrophic backup and restore option of stsadm will do this. The high-level proceedure is as follows: Perform a backup of your current environment. Code Snippetstsadm.exe -o backup -directory \\server\share -backupmethod full Install MOSS, SQL Server and all prerequisites on new server. Ensure you are using the same patch levels for all products on the new server as the old server. Run the SharePoint Technologies and Configuration Wizard on the new server, creating a new farm. Specify the new server as the database server. It does not matter what name you give the configuration database, or which port you set for Central Administration At this point, Central Administration should be accessible. Do NOT perform any configurations at this point. Do not set up services. Do not set up web applications and site collections. Do not setup the Shared Services Provider. Perform a restore using the backup you made in step 1. You can use Central Administrator or STSADM. In either case, you want to perform a NEW restore, and not an overwrite as this will affect your current environment. Make sure with either method, you specify the NEW database server name and the NEW URLs as necessary. Code Snippetstsadm.exe -o restore -directory \\server\share -restoremethod new Troubleshoot and resolve issues with Services, SSP and Search, features, templates, and web parts as necessary. Another method you can use involves manually configuring the new farm using the same settings as you used to configure the old farm (with appropriate changes to server names), and then performing a site collection backup and restore of your site collections. This method invovles knowing how your existing environment is configured, though it usually can result in less headaches with issues caused when restoring services and the SSP components. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, Jason Is that possible to using this method to backup a entried farm (Single server) and then restore to a new farm (Multiple server)?

Yes and no.If you performed a complete installthen yes. If you performed a single server or basic install that used the SQL Express instance, then maybe not. You will have to test. When you use the new restore method, you are prompted to enter the new locations of all components. Also note that you are physically installing a new farm. The configuration database is not restored (nor should it be). Alternatively, you can create a new farm on the new hardware, recreate your SSP and Web applications, and then attach the content databases (backup and restore using SQL tools from the old hardware to the new, and then attach with Central Administration/stsadm). Jason

Jason Warren wrote: Yes and no.If you performed a complete installthen yes. If you performed a single server or basic install that used the SQL Express instance, then maybe not. You will have to test. When you use the new restore method, you are prompted to enter the new locations of all components. Also note that you are physically installing a new farm. The configuration database is not restored (nor should it be). Alternatively, you can create a new farm on the new hardware, recreate your SSP and Web applications, and then attach the content databases (backup and restore using SQL tools from the old hardware to the new, and then attach with Central Administration/stsadm). Jason Many thank Jason, I'll post the result once i have a new server. should be soon.

Jason,Thanks for you great post.I am attempt to restore a particular site off a backup on one farm to another. I moved the backup directory and xml over to dot his. The restore is failing with this:Object WSS_Content_36908b (previous name: WSS_Content_36908) failed in event OnRestore. For more information, see the error log located in the backup directory. SqlException: Directory lookup for the file "E:\mssql\data\WSS_Content_36908_2.ndf" failed with the operating system error 3(The system cannot find the path specified.). File 'WSS_Content_36908_2' cannot be restored to 'E:\mssql\data\WSS_Content_36908_2.ndf'. Use WITH MOVE to identify a valid location for the file. Directory lookup for the fileI am using the graphical Central admin interface for the restore and am telling it it's a new DB server and specifying a path other than e:\MSSQL\DATA and the path i'm specifying (c:\jcp\data) does exist.. but I kep getting the above error.

JCNETYou need to use the sharename of the backup directory rather than the local path. Make sure ALL account that you use for SharePoint have write access to that share. Ideally the sharename should be the same as it was on the original server.

Why can't you just join the new server to the existing server, creating a farm. This will cerate the web apps, etc. correctly on the new server, and then move the content and config databases across and use stsadm to change the sql instance to the new SQL server? Would be a lot less hassle and you're using SharePoint to do the job, rather than rely on the stsadm back/restore options which can be dodgy for large site collections.

I have similar task but: Original farm configuration is: -MOSS2k7Server (SharePoint Farm) -SQLServer (database of Sharepoint) Now I must move SharePoint from MOSS2k7Server to SQLServer and in this situation I want have MOSS 2007 with databases installed on one server. MOSS2k7Server should be then removed. In first step I Installed MOSS on SQLServer and add this server to a farm. Now I think I need to move services from one server to second one but I don't know how to do it. Did in this situation I need backup and restore procedure? In my opninion it is not necessary but I don't know how to move all these services. Regrads Bas

Move all databases to a different database server Prepare the new database server by using the Prepare the database servers procedure.Record which Web applications are associated with the SSP by performing the following steps: On the SharePoint Central Administration Web site, on the Application Management page, in the Office SharePoint Server Shared Services section, click Create or configure this farms shared services.Record the associated Web applications that are listed on the Manage This Farms Shared Services page. Back up an SSP by performing the following steps: On the drive on which SharePoint Products and Technologies is installed, change to the following directory: %COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft shared\Web server extensions\12\Bin.If you do not already know which node you want to back up, type the following command: stsadm -o backup -showtree To back up an SSP, type the following command: stsadm -o backup -directory <UNC path> -backupmethod full -item <SSP name> where UNC path is the UNC path (\\server name\folder name) of the backup folder and where SSP name is the name of the SSP that you want to back up. All databases associated with the SSP will be automatically included in the backup. Repeat these steps for each SSP that you want to back up. Remove the SSP by performing the following steps: On the disk on which Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies is installed, change to the following directory: %COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft shared\Web server extensions\12\Bin.To remove an SSP, type the following command, and then press ENTER: stsadm -o deletessp -title <SSP name> -deletedatabases -force where SSP name is the name of the SSP that you want to remove. To detach the SSP content database from the SharePoint farm, type the following command, and then press ENTER: stsadm -o -deletecontentdb -url <URL> -databasename <database name> where URL is the URL of the Web application from which the content database will be detached and database name is the name of the content database to be detached. Repeat steps b and c for each SSP. Delete the SSP content databases. Start SQL Server Management Studio and connect to the database server.In Object Explorer, expand Databases.Right-click an SSP content database, point to Tasks, and then click Delete.On the Delete Object page, check that the database you want to delete is highlighted, and then click OK.Perform steps c and d for each SSP content database. Stop the farm by performing the following steps: On the server that is running the Central Administration Web site, in the Services snap-in, stop the following services: Microsoft Single Sign-On serviceOffice Document Conversions Launcher serviceOffice Document Conversions Load Balancer serviceOffice SharePoint Server Search serviceWindows SharePoint Services Administration serviceWindows SharePoint Services Search serviceWindows SharePoint Services Timer serviceWindows SharePoint Services Tracing serviceWindows SharePoint Services VSS Writer service On the server that is running the Central Administration Web site, at the command prompt, type iisreset /stop.Repeat step 6 on each server in the farm. Back up the databases on the source database server. Start SQL Server Management Studio and connect to the database server.In Object Explorer, expand Databases.Right-click the configuration database (usually named SharePoint_Config), point to Tasks, and then click Back Up.In the Back Up Database dialog box, in the Source area, select the type of backup that you want to perform from the Backup type list. For more information about which backup type to use, see Overview of Recovery Models (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=114396&clcid=0x409) in the SQL Server 2005 Books Online.Click Database.In the Backup set area, in the Name text box, type a name or use the default.In the Description text box, type a description of the backup.Specify how long the backup should be kept, or use the default. When the backup set expires, the backup set can be overwritten by any subsequent backups that have the same name. By default, the setting for the backup set is 0 days so that it never expires.In the Destination section, specify a location to store the backup set, or use the default. 10. Click OK to back up the database. 11. Repeat steps c through j for the remaining databases in the farm. In Windows Explorer, locate the database backup (.bak) files that you want to move, and then copy or move them to the destination server Important: In some environments, this step must be performed by the database administrator. Move only the backup files to the destination database server. Do not move any databases or other files at this time. Restore databases on the destination database server. Start SQL Server Management Studio and connect to the database server.In Object Explorer, expand Databases.Right-click the database that you want to restore, point to Tasks, point to Restore, and then click Database.In the Restore Database dialog box, specify the destination and the source, and then select the backup set or sets that you want to restore. The default values for destination and source typically suit most recovery scenarios. In the Select a page pane, click Options.In the Restore options section, select only Overwrite the existing database. Unless your environment or policies require otherwise, do not select the other options in this section.In the Recovery state section: If you have included all the transaction logs that you must restore, select RESTORE WITH RECOVERY.If you must restore additional transaction logs, select RESTORE WITH NORECOVERY.The third option, RESTORE WITH STANDBY, is not used in this scenario. Click OK to complete the restore operation.Repeat steps c through h for each database that you are restoring. Use SQL Server to copy to the destination server the logons for all service accounts, including SQL Server logins, fixed server roles, fixed database roles, and permissions for the databases.Refer the farm to the new database server by creating a SQL Server connection alias. Start the SQL Server Native Client Network Utility (%SYSTEM%\cliconfg.exe).On the General tab, verify that TCP/IP is enabled.On the Alias tab, click Add. The Add Network Library Configuration dialog box appears. In the Server alias box, enter the name of the current instance of SQL Server.In the Network libraries area, click TCP/IP.In the Connection parameters area, in the Server name box, enter the new server name and instance to associate with the alias, and then click OK.Repeat steps a through f on all servers that connect to SQL Server. Start the new farm by performing the following steps: In the Services snap-in, start the following services: Microsoft Single Sign-On serviceOffice Document Conversions Launcher service (optional)Office Document Conversions Load Balancer service (optional) Office SharePoint Server Search serviceWindows SharePoint Services Administration serviceWindows SharePoint Services Search serviceWindows SharePoint Services Timer serviceWindows SharePoint Services Tracing serviceWindows SharePoint Services VSS Writer service (optional) At the command prompt, type iisreset /start. Repeat steps a and b on each server in the farm. Restore an SSP to the new location. To obtain the backup GUID for the specific backup that you want to restore, type the following command, and then press ENTER: stsadm -o backuphistory -directory <UNC path> where UNC path is the path to the shared folder that contains the backup. To restore a database, type the following command, and then press ENTER: stsadm -o restore -directory <UNC path> -restoremethod new -backupid <GUID from backuphistory> -newdatabaseserver <SQL Server instance> where UNC path is the UNC path of the backup shared folder, GUID from backuphistory is the GUID for the specific backup package that you want to restore, and SQL Server instance is the name of the SQL Server instance where the SSP databases should be restored. Repeat this step for each SSP that you want to move. Important: By default, the first SSP to be restored becomes the default. Perform this step if you want to assign a different SSP as the default. Configure a restored SSP to be the default SSP: On the SharePoint Central Administration Web site, on the Application Management page, in the Office SharePoint Server Shared Services section, click Create or configure this farms shared services.On the Manage This Farms Shared Services page, click Change Default SSP.On the Change Default Shared Services Provider page, select the SSP that you restored from the SSP Name list, and then click OK. Deepesh Yevle MCTS