Moving your SQL Server database to a different server or SQL Server instance

This article explains how to migrate your Lansweeper SQL Server database to a different server or SQL Server instance.

Lansweeper data, reports and settings are stored in a database. Your database is hosted in either the Microsoft SQL LocalDB, Microsoft SQL Server or (deprecated) Microsoft SQL Compact database server. If your database is hosted in SQL Server, you can move it to a different machine or different SQL Server if at some point required. If it's hosted in SQL Compact or SQL LocalDB, moving just the database and not the other Lansweeper components is not possible. SQL Compact and SQL LocalDB databases can only be accessed by services running locally on the server, so all Lansweeper components must be present on the same machine and moved simultaneously when these database servers are used. If you are unsure which database server you are using, you can verify using the ConfigEditor tool or in the Lansweeper web console.

This article explains how to move *just* the database and only applies to databases hosted in SQL Server. If you are trying to move *all* Lansweeper components (scanning service, database and web console) to another machine, follow these instructions instead. More information on components and how they interact can be found in this knowledge base article.

To migrate a Lansweeper database hosted in SQL Server to a different server or SQL Server instance, do the following:

1. Stop the Lansweeper Server service in Windows Services
   
2. Stop your web server service in Windows Services. Keep in mind that this will log everyone out of the console. Your web server service is either IIS Express or World Wide Web Publishing Service (IIS).
   
3. Back up your database by right-clicking lansweeperdb in SQL Server Management Studio and selecting Tasks\Back Up... If SQL Server Management Studio isn't installed on your Lansweeper server, we recommend downloading it online.
   
   
   - Database: lansweeperdb
   - Backup type: Full
   - Backup component: Database
   - Name: make sure this is something other than lansweeperdb, to avoid overwriting your existing database.
   - In the Options tab, you can tick Verify Backup When Finished to check the integrity of the backup file.
4. Run the Lansweeper installer on your new database server and configure it exactly as shown below. This will install a default Lansweeper database in the SQL Server instance specified by you.
   
   Don't try to manually create the database. Let the installer do this for you.
5. Restore your database backup on your new server by right-clicking the lansweeperdb database in SQL Server Management Studio and selecting Tasks\Restore\Database... Make sure you've selected the correct destination (lansweeperdb) and source for the restore operation and that Overwrite the existing database is checked in the Options tab. Then hit OK to perform the restore.
   
   
   Make sure the overwrite box is checked. Otherwise, the following error may be generated: "The backup set holds a backup of a database other than the existing 'lansweeperdb' database."
6. Execute the script below in SQL Server Management Studio to reset the lansweeperuser SQL login used by the Lansweeper service and web console to connect to the database. Replace what's marked in bold with the password you want to use for the lansweeperuser login, leaving the single quotes in the script.
   /* Makes sure there are no objects in the lansweeperuser schema, so the lansweeperuser SQL user can be reset */
   USE lansweeperdb
   GO
   DECLARE c_ALTSCHEMA CURSOR FOR
   SELECT 'ALTER SCHEMA dbo TRANSFER lansweeperuser.'+name +';'
   FROM sys.objects
   WHERE SCHEMA_NAME(SCHEMA_ID) = 'lansweeperuser'
   DECLARE @SQLStmt NVARCHAR(200)
   OPEN c_ALTSCHEMA
   FETCH NEXT FROM c_ALTSCHEMA INTO @SQLStmt
   WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
   BEGIN
   EXEC(@SQLStmt)
   FETCH NEXT FROM c_ALTSCHEMA INTO @SQLStmt
   END
   CLOSE c_ALTSCHEMA
   DEALLOCATE c_ALTSCHEMA
   GO

   /* Resets the lansweeperuser SQL user */
   USE lansweeperdb
   GO
   DROP SCHEMA lansweeperuser
   GO
   DROP USER lansweeperuser
   GO
   EXECUTE sp_droplogin lansweeperuser
   GO

   USE MASTER
   GO
   EXEC sp_addlogin 'lansweeperuser', 'lansweeperuserpassword', 'lansweeperdb', [English]
   GO

   USE lansweeperdb
   GO
   EXEC sp_grantdbaccess 'lansweeperuser', 'lansweeperuser'
   GO
   EXEC sp_addrolemember [db_owner], 'lansweeperuser'
   GO

   Don't skip this step! Restoring a database backup almost always corrupts the SQL user used by the Lansweeper service and web console to connect to the database. If you don't reset the user, the service and web console will be unable to connect to the database.
7. Run the following tool, found on the servers hosting your Lansweeper Server service and web console:
   Program Files (x86)\Lansweeper\Tools\ConfigEditor.exe
   
8. Click through any warnings the tool may be giving you about your password being incorrect.
9. Select the Data Source field, hit the Edit button and submit the name of your new SQL Server instance.
10. Select the Password field, hit the Edit button and submit the same password you previously used in the database script.
    
11. If the ConfigEditor tool has multiple tabs due to your server hosting multiple Lansweeper components, select the other tab, click through any warnings and repeat the password and instance changing process.
    
12. Hit Save configs and restart service. You've now successfully migrated your SQL Server database.