Moving content and service databases

Question

We have 2 environments: one for production and one for testing. These two environments are not in sync. I have been given the task to copy content from production to test environment, and also to replicate the search and managed metadata services from production to test.

Is it possible to copy databases from production environment and attach them to test environment?

Which databases would i need to copy from prod to test?

Will be thankful for best practice tips\guide\link.

Thanks.

Answer 1

In your scenrio before migration make sure following things.

• both sharepoint farm are on the same version level.
• all the custom solution deployed to test farm as they are in production
• authentication is properly configured in the test as you did in prod.

Now for Content DB of web app.

• take the backup of content db from production web app
• restore it on test sql server
• set the permission on it.
• attached the database to deisred web app in test farm.
• test it

For search services

• if you dont have any customization, then i would highly recommend simply create a search services application and run full crawl.
• otherwise follow these instruction from technet.

For Managed Meta Data:

• Find the name of the database from your old MMS.
• Copy / move that DB so it’s available on the new farm’s DB server
• Set permissions on the server to the farm can get to the DB
• Create a new Managed Metadata App on the new Farm, when you get to the point where you specify a database name, specify the name fo your newly restored/moved DB Moving the Managed Metadata service to a new SharePoint (2010) Farm