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Is it possible to change the family_guid in MSSQL?

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Question

So I have a bit of a problem with some databases I'm trying to migrate to amazon RDS

We have about 20 Databases that are all derivatives of others that all share the same family_guid because they are based on backups of others. The problem is that amazon will not allow you to restore a DB that has the same family_guid of another even if they are two separate databases. This is where my question comes in, Is it possible to change the guid or am I out of luck and will need to do some exports/imports on these databases.

Asked2016-08-24byHunter Griffin


Answer

The family_guid is a unique ID that is generated when a database is created. It remains the same, even when a database is restored.

You generally see the family_guid when querying msdb.dbo.backupset or using the RESTORE HEADERONLY command.

My understanding is that this is a completely static value and cannot be changed.

If you need to "change" it, I'd suggest creating a new database, then exporting/importing. You might try creating a BACPAC to export the schema & data, so that you can import it into a new database.

Answered2016-08-25byAndy Mallon

Categories: Databases

Tags: SQL Server

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