How to move a Ghost Solution Suite SQL database from one SQL server to another

Products

• Deployment Solution
• Ghost Solution Suite

Issue/Introduction

 What steps are required to move a Ghost Solution Suite SQL database from one SQL server to another SQL server?

Resolution

Question
What steps are required to move a Ghost Solution Suite SQL database from one SQL server to another SQL server?

Answer
The steps for moving a Ghost Solution Suite database from one SQL server to another are:

1. Backup the database.
2. Restore the database to the cluster.
3. Make sure that the GSS service account has at least DBO rights to the database on the new SQL server
4. Stop the Ghost Server Services ("Altiris eXpress Server", "Altiris Deployment Server Data Manager", and "Altiris Deployment Server DB Management")
5. Redirect the ODBC to the database on the SQL cluster.
   1. Open C:\Windows\SysWOW64 and run odbcad32.exe
   2. Switch to the System DSN tab.
   3. Select your Altiris Express database.
   4. Select 'Configure'. 
   5. Change the SQL Server you want to connect to in the drop-down box at the bottom of that window. 
6. Restart the services stopped in step 4

Note: If there are any problems encountered then you can run DSSetup, do a custom install, and allow this installation process to run. It should detect the database on the new SQL server referenced by the ODBC connection and the process should complete successfully, allowing Ghost Solution Suite to communicate with the database in the new location. Ensure the new DB server is supported for GSS installation by reviewing the following: Platform Support Ghost Solution Suite 3.3