Downgrade SQL Server / Install Master Database

  • Hi,

    Hoping someone can help with this, I am currently having to downgrade my SQL Server in my test environment from Enterprise Edition to Standard Edition. I backed up all the databases that I wanted to keep as well as the system databases, installed Standard edition and then wanted to restore the master database this is where I have the issue and from what I have read I'm not the only one. I going to try and use this approach https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/3079/downgrade-from-sql-server-enterprise-edition-to-standard-edition/ but I have already uninstalled my test environment so don't have the mdf and ldf to hand unless I some how restore the backup file to another server running the same version as previous.

    I am was on this Version

    Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (SP1) - 11.0.3128.0 (X64)

    Dec 28 2012 20:23:12

    Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation

    Enterprise Edition (64-bit) on Windows NT 6.1 <X64> (Build 7601: Service Pack 1) (Hypervisor)

    And I want to go to this Version

    Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (SP1) - 11.0.3000.0 (X64)

    Oct 19 2012 13:38:57

    Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation

    Standard Edition (64-bit) on Windows NT 6.1 <X64> (Build 7601: Service Pack 1)

    Can anyone offer any help of how I can achieve getting the master database from the Enterprise edition on to the Standard edition?

    Thanks Phil

  • i was always under the impression that to downgrade, you have to uninstall and reinstall.

    especially master and the hidden resource databases, which cannot be restored to any lower version service pack wise.

    In your case, I think you want to go to the trouble of scripting out the things you want to keep in master so you can run the script to put them back: linked servers, logins,credentials, certificates, master keys etc, then you add each database individually to the newly installed instance.

    it's a good practice run for disaster recovery, since that's really what it is.

    Lowell


    --help us help you! If you post a question, make sure you include a CREATE TABLE... statement and INSERT INTO... statement into that table to give the volunteers here representative data. with your description of the problem, we can provide a tested, verifiable solution to your question! asking the question the right way gets you a tested answer the fastest way possible!

  • Hi Lowell,

    To be honest that is what I thought until I started reading and some people have managed to do it so I thought I would give it a go, spent the whole day messing around with it and loosing the plot. I think I will go down the route as you suggested as it will make planning for my production downgrade easier to manage.

    Thanks again for the reply, Phil

  • As an aside, and I hope you dont mind me asking, but why go for Standard and not Developer edition, which will have significant savings on Standard licensing, while still giving you the Enterprise features.

    As to me a testing server is the same as a development box (not sure if MS has the same definitions though :-D)

    _________________________________________________________________________
    SSC Guide to Posting and Best Practices

  • Very good question 🙂 I don't believe you can use the developer edition in a production live environment. At the moment I am trying to replicate what I will have to do on my live server, on my test server so I can sort out all the bugs before going live 🙂 causing lots of trouble though......

  • tress (11/4/2015)


    Very good question 🙂 I don't believe you can use the developer edition in a production live environment. At the moment I am trying to replicate what I will have to do on my live server, on my test server so I can sort out all the bugs before going live 🙂 causing lots of trouble though......

    It's a test server... not a production server. All you need to do is buy 1 license for each person using the test server and you can use the Developer's Edition. At 30-35$ a pop through a volume distributor, it won't even come close to the licensing required for even the Standard Edition.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • tress (11/4/2015)


    Hi,

    Hoping someone can help with this, I am currently having to downgrade my SQL Server in my test environment from Enterprise Edition to Standard Edition. I backed up all the databases that I wanted to keep as well as the system databases, installed Standard edition and then wanted to restore the master database this is where I have the issue and from what I have read I'm not the only one. I going to try and use this approach https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/3079/downgrade-from-sql-server-enterprise-edition-to-standard-edition/ but I have already uninstalled my test environment so don't have the mdf and ldf to hand unless I some how restore the backup file to another server running the same version as previous.

    I am was on this Version

    Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (SP1) - 11.0.3128.0 (X64)

    Dec 28 2012 20:23:12

    Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation

    Enterprise Edition (64-bit) on Windows NT 6.1 <X64> (Build 7601: Service Pack 1) (Hypervisor)

    And I want to go to this Version

    Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (SP1) - 11.0.3000.0 (X64)

    Oct 19 2012 13:38:57

    Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation

    Standard Edition (64-bit) on Windows NT 6.1 <X64> (Build 7601: Service Pack 1)

    Can anyone offer any help of how I can achieve getting the master database from the Enterprise edition on to the Standard edition?

    Thanks Phil

    Don't restore system databases, especially across editions.

    Script the objects out and apply them to the new instance

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

  • Hi, we are already licenced for the standard edition by our head office so no extra costs and wanted to keep both my test and live environments as similar as possible.

    Thanks Phil

  • Hi Perry,

    That's what I have decided to do, is it possible to script the passwords in anyway, unfortunately many of the accounts were created before my time and nobody kept a list of passwords and these accounts are now being used in other systems?

    Thanks P

  • Hi Perry,

    Please scrap my last question, I have worked out how to do it 🙂

    Thanks P

  • tress (11/4/2015)


    Hi Perry,

    That's what I have decided to do, is it possible to script the passwords in anyway, unfortunately many of the accounts were created before my time and nobody kept a list of passwords and these accounts are now being used in other systems?

    Thanks P

    Yes, here's a quick script that I use myself to script sql logins and their passwords

    SELECT'CREATE LOGIN [' + name + '] WITH PASSWORD = ' +

    sys.fn_varbintohexstr(password_hash) +

    ' HASHED, SID = ' + sys.fn_varbintohexstr(sid) +

    ', DEFAULT_DATABASE = ' + QUOTENAME(default_database_name) +

    ', DEFAULT_LANGUAGE = ' + default_language_name +

    ', CHECK_EXPIRATION = ' +

    CASE

    WHEN is_expiration_checked = 0 THEN 'OFF'

    ELSE 'ON'

    END +

    ', CHECK_POLICY = ' +

    CASE

    WHEN is_policy_checked = 0 THEN 'OFF'

    ELSE 'ON'

    END +

    CASE is_disabled

    WHEN 0 THEN ''

    ELSE '; ALTER LOGIN [' + name + '][ DISABLE;'

    END

    FROM master.sys.sql_logins

    WHERE name not like '##%' and name <> 'sa'

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉

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