SharePoint 2007 Backend Database Rename

Recently I was part of an effort to move a large farm to a new set of database servers. The farm consisted of the following machines.

4 Web Front End's
1 Application Server
2 SQL Cluster Nodes

The idea was to be able to move the entire farm from the old database server to the new database server. The challenge with doing this is that the configuration databases cannot be moved in the traditional manner of a backup and restore. The reason is that the farms databases hold the name of the SQL server or Cluster as a reference point. While you could take the content databases and easily move them, you would have to leave your Configuration Databases where they are, which is usually not desirable.

So how do I move my farm to a new Database Server or Cluster?

1. Perform a full backup of all data from Central Admin

2. Perform a full backup of all SQL databases and then restore them to the new DB server

3.  Before you stop any services ensure that the farm is quiesced.  This will prevent a known issue with the SSP becoming corrupt

4. Just stop IIS on the WFE's not the index service

5. Ensure that all user accounts have been assigned identical permissions on the new DB server.  All DB rights should come with the DB restores, but just double-check

6. Use STSADM and perform following step
stsadm -o renameserver -newservername <newsqlserver> -oldservername <oldsqlserver>

7. Bring IIS back online on all WFE's

8. Start the farm from Central Admin

9. Double-check that the DB Server name under topology view matches the new db server name

10. Ensure that search is working properly and that resulted are being returned.

If you are planning to move your Farm to a new Database Server consider the following.

What is my company's Recovery Time Objective (RTO), and will I be able to bring the farm backup in time if I cannot get the migration to work correctly?