Retrieve info (alerts, Custom Error Messages etc) from off line master and msdb databases

Question

Hi,

Well, we have spent a happy weekend building a new server as our old one had a terminal hardware crash, and repeatedly rebooted. All OK as the user databases were on a SAN, so we just pointed the new server at the san, attached the user DBs and off we went....

We also use alerts extensively to run jobs. We are now in the situation where the old server will come up, but SQL server will not run as the system DBs are on the SAN. I need to get the error messages and alert details off of the old MDF files.

Any ideas as to how I can query these databases? I cannot attach the master/msdb DB to another server under another name as it gives an error (tried that).

Any ideas gurus?

Answer 1

hi WiltsDBA
I can suggest the following
* try to backup the old msdb database and restore it on the new server
* if it doesn't work i think you can use the DTS to transfere rows that does not exist in the new server

Answer 2

Eisa,

DTS would work, as would backing up and restoring except..... the old server where the master and MSDB were running is no longer operational, it is defunct, it has curled up its silicon chips and gone to meet its maker, it is an ex server.

Sorry, it's been a long weekend. Basically, I have the MDF and LDF files, but no way of attaching them to a working SQL server. All attempts to attach give an error message about a record already existing in some system table, even though I am attempting to restore them to a different database (i.e. restoring MSDB as MSDBOLD etc).

 

Answer 3

Forget last post - I found the problem, or at least a solution.

I was trying to restore to a local copy of SQL 2005, where as when I tried to attach the DBs to a server with SQL 2000 on, it works! I can now get all my alerts etc out of the old one - BTW - anyone know where alerts are stored and how to copy to another server?

Answer 4

OK then use this handy ugly way
backup all your databases (including your system databases ) stop your new server if possible and then copy the old files (MDFs and LDFs) to the path where the system databases exists (do not overwrite take them a side :) )
it is very risky but probably it will work