Copying all tables to a new database

As part of an e-commerce re-write project I was tasked with copying over 300 tables from one database to another, including all data, identity columns, indexes, constraints, primary and foreign keys.

I was unable to simply backup / restore due to space and security issues. Here is my solution …

1. Script Create statements for every table. On the ‘old’ database I expanded the database and clicked ‘Tables’ then clicked ‘View’ / ‘Object Explorer Details’ so all the tables were listed in the right-hand pane. Then I was able to highlight all the tables there, and right-click ‘Script Table as’ / ‘Create To’ / ‘New Query Editor Window’.

When finished I changed connection to the ‘new’ empty database and ran the script to create all the tables – without data.

2. Disable all foreign-key constraints. (from here https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11639868/temporarily-disable-all-foreign-key-constraints). I ran this script on the new database …

-- disable fks
use targetdb
go

DECLARE @sql NVARCHAR(MAX) = N'';

;WITH x AS 
(
  SELECT DISTINCT obj = 
      QUOTENAME(OBJECT_SCHEMA_NAME(parent_object_id)) + '.' 
    + QUOTENAME(OBJECT_NAME(parent_object_id)) 
  FROM sys.foreign_keys
)
SELECT @sql += N'ALTER TABLE ' + obj + ' NOCHECK CONSTRAINT ALL;
' FROM x;

EXEC sp_executesql @sql;

3. Populate all the tables using the SSIS wizard. In SSMS I right-clicked the old database / ‘Tasks’, ‘Export Data…’. In the wizard I accepted the old database as the Source and typed in the new database details as the Target. I ticked all tables, and clicked ‘edit Mappings’ to tick ‘Enable identity insert’. I then deselected the Views, and executing the SSIS package.

4. To Re-enable all foreign keys – I ran this script (from the same web page as 2.) on the new database …

-- re-enable fks
use targetdb
go

DECLARE @sql NVARCHAR(MAX) = N'';

;WITH x AS 
(
  SELECT DISTINCT obj = 
      QUOTENAME(OBJECT_SCHEMA_NAME(parent_object_id)) + '.' 
    + QUOTENAME(OBJECT_NAME(parent_object_id)) 
  FROM sys.foreign_keys
)
SELECT @sql += N'ALTER TABLE ' + obj + ' WITH CHECK CHECK CONSTRAINT ALL;
' FROM x;

EXEC sp_executesql @sql;

To check progress I used my old ‘database_compare’ script.