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HendersonD
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Move VC database, SQL Express to SQL 2005?

We have Virtual Center 2.5 using a SQL Express 2005 database installed on the same machine. I now have a separate SQL 2005 server so I would like to move the Virtual Center database to it. Are these the basic steps:

1. Stop Virtual Center service.

2. Backup current SQL Express 2005 database. This can be done using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express which I have installed on the Virtual Center server

3. Restore the database on my SQL 2005 server using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio

4. Update ODBC connection on VC server with new SQL server name

5. Start Virtual Center service

Am I missing anythng? How is the authentication handled between the Virtual Center server and SQL? Do I need the SQL Native Client installed on the Virtual Center server?

When I look at the databases being stored in SQL Server Express 2005 I see two, VIM_UMDB and VIM_VCDB, do I move them both? This same server is also our license server

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Troy_Clavell
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Am I missing anythng? How is the authentication handled between the Virtual Center server and SQL? Do I need the SQL Native Client installed on the Virtual Center server?

yes, you will have to update ODBC to use the Native SQL Server drivers.

Other than that I think you have a good backup plan in place.

Here's the driver if you are looking for it and a couple of links that may help.

http://vmware-land.com/Vmware_Tips.html#VC8

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100305...

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Troy_Clavell
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Am I missing anythng? How is the authentication handled between the Virtual Center server and SQL? Do I need the SQL Native Client installed on the Virtual Center server?

yes, you will have to update ODBC to use the Native SQL Server drivers.

Other than that I think you have a good backup plan in place.

Here's the driver if you are looking for it and a couple of links that may help.

http://vmware-land.com/Vmware_Tips.html#VC8

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100305...

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azn2kew
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Also make sure to records down any scheduled jobs that are running so you can set the jobs for it in SQL 2005. I think SQL Native Client is part of SQL 2005 DVD when you autorun it shows SQL Native Client option for install.

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HendersonD
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Thanks for all the great advice

When I look at the databases being stored in SQL Server Express 2005 I

see two, VIM_UMDB and VIM_VCDB, do I move them both? This same server

is also our license server.

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HendersonD
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Anybody know why I see two databases on my VC Server? They are VIM_UMDB and VIM_VCDB

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Dave_Mishchenko
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One database is for VirtualCenter and the other is for Update Manager.

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HendersonD
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Thanks,

I will move both of them to SQL 2005

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HyperSprite
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You should also look at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1004382 for adding the rollup jobs to the new sql server.

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RyanLi
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HI All

I have tried the above method to change VCDB from local 2005 express to another computer 's SQL2005 enterprise

I have re-configured the system DSN in ODBC on VC server.

After i start the VC service , i got below message

==============================================================================================================================

The description for Event ID ( 1000 ) in Source ( VMware VirtualCenter Server ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event: Failed to intialize VMware VirtualCenter. Shutting down....

==============================================================================================

any advice ?

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jhanekom
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Late reply, but here goes.

There are many possible reasons for VirtualCenter to fail, and that error message is, unfortunately, as generic as you can get.

For more detail on why VirtualCenter failed, you will need to look under C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VirtualCenter\Logs.

Sort all the log files by date, locate the ones that were modified most recently, open them and look at the last few lines. The error message should be quite clear in there.

Later releases of VirtualCenter print the actual error message in the event log as well. I would suggest you update to a recent release once you've resolved your problem (not before, as that would just confuse things.)

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jeanGenie
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Hi

I have the same problem when trying to connect to the new sql server - looking at the log file it says

'App' 5116 error] ODBC error: (28000) - [SQL Native Client][SQL Server]Login failed for user 'WBC\WBCxxxx$'. where WBCxxxx is the name of the old SQL server.

How do I get it to use the new sql server login ?

Thanks

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jhanekom
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First things first: your ODBC DSN is set to use Integrated authentication. You need to change it to use SQL-based authentication.

(I'm guessing your old SQL instance was on the VC server itself?)

Let's change that and try again - there may be other problems as well, but this is the first step.

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jeanGenie
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Hi

This was set up by our supplier - and yes it was on the old VC server.

When I try to set the authentication to SQL- based it errors with '

login failed for user' - user not associated with a trusted SQl

connection'

Thanks

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jhanekom
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Your SQL server is not accepting SQL Authentication - only Integrated authentication. You will need to change this on the SQL server to allow VC to connect. (Note: this requires a restart of the SQL services.)

Have you created a login for VirtualCenter on the SQL yet? What steps did you follow to move the database?

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jeanGenie
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Hi

I have changed authentication to SQL.

Steps

To move the database I took backups of Vicentre and vcdb - then

restored them onto the new sql 2005 box.

Then changed ODBC's to look at new server.

Have I missed a step ?

Thanks

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RParker
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You don't need to move them both. I wouldn't move the UMDB, start with a fresh update manager Database, it's just going to download the updates again, and it can do it overnight. The critical one is the VCDB. That's the only one you need.

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jeanGenie
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I want to move totally off SQL Express to SQL 2005 on the second server.

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jhanekom
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OK, that's a good start, so I'm assuming both databases are showing up on the SQL server as up and running?

Next, you'll need to create a login on the new SQL server for VirtualCenter (you can use the same login for Update Manager to simplify things.) (Please be responsible and choose a complex password! This is a service account and you're not going to change the password very often - or type it in very often.)

After the login has been created, you need to give it dbo rights on the two databases. The simplest way of doing this is to get the properties of each DB, open the Files page and set the database owner to the newly created login. (If you figure out why Microsoft put the database owner under Files, let me know 'cause I don't know either!)

Next, you will need to tell the VirtualCenter service which username and password to use. The procedure is documented here: http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003928. The section you want is right at the end, titled "Modifying the username and password VirtualCenter uses to connect to the database server".

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jhanekom
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Oh, and come to think of it, I'm not entirely sure how to reset the Update Manager SQL Login password, so RParker is probably right that a quick re-install of update manager might be a faster solution to get that up and running.

You might want to try doing a repair on Update Manager (from Add/Remove Programs) before doing a re-install, similar to the procedure suggested in the article I referenced. Maybe that will give you the opportunity to re-enter database settings.

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jeanGenie
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I have set up a new login and given dbo rights on both the databases.

I then followed procedure to change the Vmware logon and password.

I changed the ODBCs to look at new dbs and vmware center service seemed

to start ok and Update Manager.

Vmware Manager seemes to start ok - however I then get an error ' Object

reference not set to an instance of an object' .

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