Install SQL Server 2008 R2 or downgrade SQL Server 2012 to 2008 R2

Question

Hi,

     We have a vendor that is certified for SQL Server 2008 R2 for its new release.  I have a few questions:

    1.  Is it better to Install SQL Server 2008 R2 or downgrade SQL Server 2012 to 2008 R2

    2.  What does downgrade mean?

           - Does it mean to pay for SQL Server 2012 but actually install SQL Server 2008 R2

                                 or

             Does it have to do with the compatibility of the database?

    3.  If we downgrade, does that mean we can upgrade to 2012 at no cost?

Thanks, it's a bit confusing

Pam

Answer 1

Hello,

I would suggest you to install what the vendor is supporting. Try to call Microsoft Licensing or software vendors  to obtain SQL Server 2008 R2, if that vendor only supports SQL Server 2008 R2 at this time.

About the question if you can pay by SQL Server 2012 but install SQL Server 2008 R2, a Microsoft Licensing Specialist should answer that question.

You can contact Microsoft Licensing at 1-800-426-9400, Monday through Friday, 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. (Pacific Time). You can also visit the following site for more information and support on licensing issues:

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/mla/default.aspx

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Alberto Morillo
SQLCoffee.com

Answer 2

Hello,

Alberto has already mentioned how to contact Microsoft Licensing Team to get your queries addressed with respect to SQL Server Licensing. I would like to add few points in case if you wish to downgrade your database from SQL 2012 to SQL 2008 R2.

You cannot restore a SQL Server Database backup taken from SQL Server 2012 and restore it on SQL Server 2008 R2 as this is not supported by Microsoft. To know more why you can’t restore a database from higher version to lower version then read the following article.

If you want to downgrade the database then use can utilize SQL Server Integration Services. An example to downgrade a SQL Server 2008 database to SQL Server 2005 is mentioned in the following article same method is applicable to downgrade SQL Server 2012 database to SQL Server 2008 R2 in your case.

Hope that Helps!

Cheers,
Ashish

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Answer 3

Great info thanks.   Let me see if I have something correct.  If I install Sql Server 2012 and load my data from Sql Server 2005 then change compatibility in the databases to Sql Server 2008 R2. Would I then in effect be 'downgrading' sql server to allow app to work but I could switch to 2012 when app is certified for it?  Would that be better than loading 2008 r2 then at a later date need to load 2012?

Answer 4

Hello,

My suggestion is to call your vendor and ask them if they support that configuration. If they have not tested that scenario, do not do it. Any incorrect behavior of the application the vendor would say then, that is because you have an unsupported scenario.

I would like to mention, that even with compatibility level 110 and the database behaves as SQL Server 2008 R2 compatible, since it is attached to a SQL Server 2012 instance you cannot longer attach it back to an earlier version of SQL Server.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Alberto Morillo
SQLCoffee.com