EV - upgrading to SQL 2005 - checking compatibility

[IanC]

We are running EV v6 (SP4) in a Microsoft Exchange 2003 environment.We are intending to upgrade the server that hosts our EnterpriseVaultAudit, EnterpriseVaultDirectory and 3 Vault Store databases from SQL 2000 to SQL 2005.Please can you tell us if these databases are fully compatible with SQL 2005, and if not, what steps we should take to make this upgrade possible.If you need any more information please let me know.

Many Thanks, Ian.

[Grog]

Ian,

I'm working on a plan to do the exact same thing (with EV 6 SP4 too).  My basic plan is to do the following:

Install SQL 2005 as a new instance on the existing SQL servers

Stop all EV services

Back up all EV databases that need to be moved

Copy the databases to the new SQL 2005 Server (use the SQL server "copy database" tool)

Attach the databases to the new SQL Server

Update statistics on SQL databases (see EV Performance Guide 2007, page 14)

Configure Enterprise Vault to use new databases on the new SQL instance

Start EV

The failback will simply be to point back at the SQL 2000 servers, as the data will still be intact and unchanged.  Once EV is archiving on SQL 2005, the SQL 2000 instance can be removed.

By using the side-by-side installation of SQL (which is a supported configuration by MS), you should be able to eliminate some of the EV downtime, as the SQL installation can be performed while the EV SQL 2000 server is still online.

SOURCES

Symantec Enterprise Vault Performance Guide

http://ftp.support.veritas.com/pub/support/products/Exchange_Mailbox_Archiving_Unit/288395.pdf

Symantec Technote 273272 – “How to move an EV SQL directory and store databases from one SQL server to another”

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/273272.htm

Microsoft - Installing SQL Server 2005

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143516.aspx

Symantec Technote 281261 – “Support for SQL 2005 with Enterprise Vault (EV) products.”

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/281261.htm

Symantec Enterprise Vault Performance Guide

http://ftp.support.veritas.com/pub/support/products/Exchange_Mailbox_Archiving_Unit/288395.pdf

Symantec Enterprise Vault (tm) 6.0 Service Pack 4 - Installing and Configuring

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/287652.htm

Microsoft - How to: Upgrade to SQL Server 2005 with the Copy Database Wizard

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190775.aspx

Message Edited by Grog on 04-02-2008 08:20 AM

[PATRICK_Kitchen]

We did this some time ago and had absolutely no problems at all