• erico (8/25/2016)


    Detach/Attach can only be done with databases in the same SQL Server compatibility mode - meaning you can only for example Detach/Attach a 2016 database in the SQL server 2016 version; whereas a SQL Server 2008 database backup can be restored onto another version of SQL, say, SQL Server 2016.

    I don't believe this is correct based on my testing. I am able to detach a SQL 2008 database and attach it to a SQL 2016 server. The attach process goes through a database upgrade process and finishes. Once the attach process is complete, you can change the database compatibility mode to 130 (2016).

    In the context of this thread why is a detach/attach upgrade process more risky than a backup/restore?