Copy databses from production server

Hi all:
I need to copy 2 relatively small databases from a SQL server, and then
bring those databases over to a test SQL server. I tried to do a restore on
the test serer from a backup copy of the production databases, but I think
the DBs have to exist on the test server before the restore can happen.
Can someone tell me the easiest way to copy the databases? I do not have a
direct connection to the test server so I need to make full copies of the DBs
and then copy them to the test server and then get them into SQL on the test
machine.
Can I select Tasks->Copy Databases and copy the databases to a local
directory? Can I do this while SQL Server is running without causing a
problem?
Thanks for any and all help.
John.
Do a backup and restore.
Backup the database.
Copy the database backup to the new server.
Create a database which will be the shell you will restore the database
backup into.
There is an option when you do the restore to replace existing database. Use
this option.
http://www.zetainteractive.com - Shift Happens!
Looking for a SQL Server replication book?
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html
Looking for a FAQ on Indexing Services/SQL FTS
http://www.indexserverfaq.com
"John" <John@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:68305293-61F5-4C18-94E7-664148BB361D@.microsoft.com...
>
> Hi all:
> I need to copy 2 relatively small databases from a SQL server, and then
> bring those databases over to a test SQL server. I tried to do a restore
> on
> the test serer from a backup copy of the production databases, but I think
> the DBs have to exist on the test server before the restore can happen.
> Can someone tell me the easiest way to copy the databases? I do not have a
> direct connection to the test server so I need to make full copies of the
> DBs
> and then copy them to the test server and then get them into SQL on the
> test
> machine.
> Can I select Tasks->Copy Databases and copy the databases to a local
> directory? Can I do this while SQL Server is running without causing a
> problem?
> Thanks for any and all help.
> John.
>
|||Hi Hilary:
Thank you for your message. That seemed to work.
John.
"Hilary Cotter" wrote:

> Do a backup and restore.
> Backup the database.
> Copy the database backup to the new server.
> Create a database which will be the shell you will restore the database
> backup into.
> There is an option when you do the restore to replace existing database. Use
> this option.
> --
> http://www.zetainteractive.com - Shift Happens!
> Looking for a SQL Server replication book?
> http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html
> Looking for a FAQ on Indexing Services/SQL FTS
> http://www.indexserverfaq.com
> "John" <John@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:68305293-61F5-4C18-94E7-664148BB361D@.microsoft.com...
>
>