Creating a test environment

I just got my first job doing some DBA work (junior level) in a small company using SQL Server 2000.

I would like to make a copy of the production DB and use it for development of SP's, DTS packages and views.

What is the safest way for me to copy the entire production DB, to a new DB on the same server?

Should I create a new DB, and do a restore of the production backup?

Any help would be appreciated,
Thank you.restoring from a backup is probably the most common way.|||restoring from a backup is probably the most common way.

Should I restore to a 'new database' I create, or restore and just supply the name of 'development', for example...

Thanks for the reply|||Should I restore to a 'new database' I create, or restore and just supply the name of 'development', for example...

Thanks for the reply

you can try restoring the backup via Query Analyzer. Try consulting BOL for the syntax. Based on my experience it creates the database along with the devices. You can also specify that it move it's devices to a specific path.

Createing an instance on a Sql Server 2k installation.

I need to know if it is possible to create a Sql Server instance on top of an existing SQL Server 2k installation.

I am trying to mimic a production setup completely and the database is setup as an instance of a SQL server. By that I mean that we connect to the database by specifying <servername>\<instancename>.

I apologize if I have been ambiguous, or have used incorrect terminology. I am not a DBA and am trying to explain this the best way I know of.

Any help that anyone can provide is greatly appreciated!!

Sure, another instance can be easily installed by using the setup disk on choosing the named instance option along with the setup. If you have a default instance installed on the server, be aware that the named instance has another port than the default instance. You will have to specify the port during connection time in the syntax of ServerName\Instancename,Portnumer (whereas the instanceName is irgnored if you specified the portnumber, but for me this is for better reading and debugging).

HTH, Jens K. Suessmeyer.

http://www.sqlserver2005.de

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Thank you for the reponse!

I will give that a try.

|||This did the trick! Many thanks!

created my first cube now what?

I was able to create my first test production cube and i have a question about it. Do I need to have the cube rebuild/delpoy everyday cause the data in the server changes? (we truncate and rebuild the table that the cube pulls from if that matters.)

cheers.

Hello!

It is sufficient to do a full process of the dimensions and the cube. You have tasks that will help you with this in Integration services(SSISS).

HTH

Thomas Ivarsson