Upgradeing MS CRM 3 to 4 with new SQL server

Make sure you test any functions/stored procedures/triggers in a test environment first.  2005 is much picker about syntax than 2000 and if we hadn't tested first we would have gone live with users not being able to run reports/access data

Heres a couple of links that may help.  I will read them and see.  It may be more beificiial to move the database then upgrade.

Moving the database
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917948

Moving the report service database
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/842425/

another link of interest

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910044/

FYI, CRM 4.0 does not support SQL 2000, so you have to make the SQL change first (either upgrade the SQL you have, Upgrade CRM, then move the DB to the new SQL 2005 server, or move the database, point CRM to it, upgrade to CRM 4)

Is process of miving the SQL 2000 database to an SQL 2005 server is the same as outlined in these two articles?  The one about moving the dtabase refers to SQL2005,

Moving the database
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917948

Moving the report service database
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/842425/

The articles are pretty thorough for SQL 2005.  the differences should be subtle between the two.

One note, you should do an IISRESET -stop on the CRM server(s) as well as stopping the 3 services for a good backup.

How did the upgrade go?

I have not done that yet.  

I belive I will transfer the database to the new SQL server first, then upgrade.  I have been installing the new servers hardware and have just finished installing the SQL software.  I am now configuring the servers and when ready (1-2 weeks) I will transfer the database to the new server then upgrade CRm to version 4.0.

I will update with my results.

Getting ready to do this again for another client, how is yours going?

I plan on attempting it this weekend.  Ill post my results and procedures.

check this:  
http://blog.kazmarek.com/2008/03/11/full-text-index-inconsistency-when-upgrading-to-crm-40/>   before you try the upgrade.  Since you are moving the DBs, you might need to execute the sp_fulltext_database command that is in there.

Thanks for the information.  I  am just movivng the database this weekend and not performing the upgrade just yet.  Maybe next week.

The move went well.  I followed the outline in the KB article to move the database.  The only two additional thig i needed to perform were to reset IIS and regenerate the JOBS on the new SQL server.  Regenerating the jobs was easy enough, I just exported the current jobs to an SQL script, copied the script tot he new server, and double clicked on the script to run.

I did not move the reporting database as I am hoping the CRM upgrade will reinstall that part on the new server.

I haven't tried to let the upgrade set up SRS.  That may set you back.  At a bare minimum, Install SRS on the new location (SQL?) and configure it so that it opens on the CRM server.

You might also want to point the CRM 3 to it (where it will show no list of reports, but shouldn't error).  Then upgrade.  Definitely let us know how that goes.

Did you do this part of the link I sent and get the expected results?

Command: sp_help_fulltext_tables Expected Results: dbo DocumentIndex cndx_PrimaryKey_DocumentIndex 1 1 ftcat_documentindex Command: sp_help_fulltext_columns Expected Results: dbo 1205579333 DocumentIndex Title 9 NULL NULL 1033 dbo 1205579333 DocumentIndex KeyWords 11 NULL NULL 1033 dbo 1205579333 DocumentIndex SearchText 12 NULL NULL 1033

I was going to use the RS on my SQL2003 server but MSCRM 4.0 does not support RS on 2003 only 2005, also CRM 4.0 does not support Sharepoint linked RS.  So i made my sql2005 RS as native and pointed my CRM to the new RS site.  It list no reports in CRM but does not give an error when i try to run the upgrade process.

I did try the above command and I did receive the expected results.  I think this had to do with the regeneration of the CRM  jobs.  My jobs were there so they did what they were supposed to do.

Well, I didn't think you'd close with NO points awarded.