POST MIGRATION AND UPGRADE STEPS

I recently performed a migration exercise for one of my clients wherein they upgraded their SQL Server versions. This has taught me a lot and in this post i shall list some of the post migration steps that need to be performed. I'll also give a list of a few links along the way where these points have been discussed in detail and hence i need not re-invent the wheel by writing them here again.

So here goes my list (since i have provided the links, i have refrained from describing the points in detail). The intent is to enable readers to use this as a quick checklist whenever they perform a migration or upgrade SQL Server instances.

 - Transfer Logins

 - Service Packs, upgrades and hotfixes

 - Run DBCC UPDATEUSAGE on all databases to correct any incorrect row or page counts.

 - Change authentication mode if required

 - Change database compatibility level if required

 - Connection string change in applications

 - Transfer Jobs - Remove @uid parameter

 - Update Statistics - See point 6 in link below (QueryPlan needs to have latest data). Done
   by default anyways.

   http://thomaslarock.com/2013/03/upgrading-to-sql-2012-ten-things-you-dont-want-to-miss/

 - DBCC reindex etc
 - Configure HA
 - Run DBCC CheckDB on all databases to check consistency

   http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-in/library/ms143532(v=sql.110).aspx

 - Enable full text indexing (disabled after upgrade)

   http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms142536(v=sql.105).aspx