Step 4 in a series of posts documenting the Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010 upgrade process on SBS 2008. This is based on the document:
Step 4: Back up the Windows Internal Database files
So now we need to back up the SharePoint content databases. SharePoint uses SQL to store just about all its content so having a copy of these databases is always a good move.
Go to the Services from the Administration Tools.
Scroll down the list of services until you locate Windows Internal Database as shown below.
Right mouse click on this service and select Properties.
Set the Startup Type to Disabled and press the Stop button to stop the service. Then press OK.
The most likely reason for dong this is to ensure that the service doesn’t accidentally start while you are a attempting to backup the databases, which may take some time if they are large.
Now run the file manage and locate the directory in which the SharePoint databases are located. This will usually be c:\windows\sysmsi\ssee\mssql.2005\mssql\data. If you have used the wizard to move the databases they will be in same directory structure but in the drive letter you moved them to.
Microsoft indicates which databases to copy but it is probably just as easy to copy the whole \data directory out.
Aside from the SharePoint databases Microsoft recommends copying out the information in the \schemasig directory as well as the WSUS databases (in C:WSUS\SUSDB\UpdateServicesDbFiles\ usually). Beware that your WSUS databases could also be very large and may take quite a while to copy.
Once you have done this you go back to the Services console and set the Windows Internal Database to start automatically and then start the service.
It would seems that by doing the above steps you are ensuring that if the default installation of SQL 2005 Embedded Edition becomes corrupt you can recover, because don’t forget that SQL 2005 Embedded Edition is not only used for SharePoint so if it smokes it will affect other applications (most likely WSUS).
You’ve now backed up everything and your ready to being the process of removing Windows SharePoint Services v3 from SBS 2008 in preparation for installing SharePoint Foundation 2010 instead.
CIAOPS 