You can download the SQL Server 2008 R2 BPA from the SQL Server 2008 R2 Best

Practices Analyzer
(http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15289)
The destination computer cannot be a domain controller.
The SQL Server registry keys must be consistent.

Data files

 Database objects
 SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) cubes
 Configuration settings
 Security settings
 SQL Server Agent jobs
 SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) packages
 as well as security, configuration settings, and other supporting objects—to the
new instance
 Consolidation or distribution of databases. Minimizing changes at the database
level will make the upgrade process smoother. If you can do this, make
consolidation or distribution of databases a separate project.
 Change of database compatibility level. Keep the new databases at the same
compatibility level, and move them to the new compatibility level after you
have validated the upgrade’s success.
 Change of database objects. Avoid making upgrades to the database schema,
structure, or code objects part of the upgrade project
 If the upgrade plan includes removing the old server from the domain and
renaming the new server with the legacy name and legacy IP address, test this
step as well.
 Detach the SAN volume from the older instance of SQL Server and then present
it to the instance of SQL Server 2016. These options will save disk space and
might save database administrators (DBAs) from having to move the database
files over the network. But they will also eliminate the ability to roll back if the
relational database upgrade should fail for any reason. With a SAN disk
 configuration, you can also clone the disk volume while the original SQL Server
relational database is online and then recreate that clone on another disk array,
which you can then attach to the SQL Server 2016 relational database instance
for upgrade. DBAs with a SAN disk configuration should meet with their disk
engineers to discuss possible methods for moving the database files without
having to perform a copy over the network and without attaching the original
files if possible.

Preparing for a Side-by-Side Upgrade you should take the following steps to
prepare for a side-by-side upgrade (the steps will vary somewhat based on the
side-by-side method that you select):
1. Run Upgrade Advisor to analyze the database(s) you want to upgrade, as shown
earlier in Figures 1 through 4. Then review the generated report to verify that you
have addressed all issues that must be resolved before the upgrade and to ensure
you understand the upgrade issues that you must resolve after the Setup program
is complete.
2. Run DBCC CHECKDB on the databases to be upgraded to make sure that they
are in a consistent state.
3. Make sure that the user databases to be upgraded are set to autogrow and that
the PRIMARY filegroup of each user database has sufficient disk space. Additional
disk space is required to allow for the additional space that is required for the
PRIMARY filegroup when you install SQL Server 2016. You can turn off this option
after the upgrade is complete.
4. Make sure that the log file for each user database is set to autogrow and has
sufficient additional disk space. Additional space is required by transaction log files
of user databases. You can turn off this option after the upgrade is complete if it is
required by your application or database maintenance plan.
5. Set the AUTO_UPDATE_STATISTICS option to ON before upgrading to SQL
Server 2016. Statistics are not upgraded as part of the upgrade process, and
relying on statistics from previous SQL Server releases might result in suboptimal
query plans. By setting the AUTO_UPDATE_STATISTICS option to ON, all statistics
are updated when they are first referenced.
6. Make sure that you have current backups of the databases that you are
upgrading by using the BACKUP DATABASE command, and verify their validity by
using RESTORE VERIFY ONLY before you start the upgrade process. If you use the
detach/attach method, you should make sure that you copy instead of move the
data files so that in the unlikely event something should go wrong, you can quickly
and easily reattach your data files on the original SQL Server 2005/2008/2008
R2/2012 instance
Must manually move or transfer the master and msdb database objects (e.g.,
logins, jobs, alerts) to the SQL Server 2016 instance from the legacy server
For side-by-side upgrades, execute the following post-upgrade steps:
1. Configure or update server logins on the new instance and database users in the
Upgraded database.
2. Configure jobs and database maintenance plans on the new instance.
3. Configure alerts on the new instance.
4. Configure DTS and SSIS packages on the new instance.
5. Update connection strings at clients so that they can connect to the new
Instance, unless you are replacing the old server with a new server that has the
Same identity.
General Post-Upgrade Tasks
Whether you are doing an in-place upgrade or a side-by-side upgrade, you must
Execute the following post-upgrade steps:
1. Execute DBCC CHECKDB WITH DATA_PURITY to check the database for column
Values that are not valid or are out of range. After you have successfully run
DBCC CHECKDB WITH DATA_PURITY against an upgraded database, you do not
Have to specify the DATA_PURITY option again because SQL Server will
Automatically maintain "data purity." This is the only DBCC CHECKDB check that
You must run as a post-upgrade task.
2. Execute DBCC UPDATEUSAGE on all attached databases to update usage
Counters and make sure that correct values exist for table and index row counts.
3. Update statistics on all databases after you upgrade them. Execute UPDATE
STATISTICS in user-defined tables in SQL Server databases.
4. Repopulate full-text catalogs. Text Search."—disable for us
5. Make sure that the relational databases are working correctly by executing a
Update any scripts affected by SQL Server 2016 behavior changes

Replication:
If you are also moving the Publisher to a new SQL Server 2016 instance:
a. Drop the existing publication(s) and subscription(s).
b. Re-create the publication on the new Publisher and point it to the SQL
Server 2016 Distributor.
c. Recreate the subscription pointing to the new publication.
d. Verify that replication is working
Objects
• Ad hoc remote queries
• Common Language Runtime (CLR) integration
• DAC (remote use of the Dedicated Administrator Connection)
• Database Mail/SQL Mail
• Native XML Web services (if HTTP endpoints are defined)
• Service Broker
• xp_cmdshell
• Web Assistant

1. Review service account settings. Ensure that you have enabled only the services
That you need on your upgraded SQL Server 2016 instance. Use the SQL Server
Configuration Manager Tool to verify the services and settings.
2. Review configuration settings. Verify that you have the correct configuration
Settings, including those that are off by default. Enable only those that are
Necessary. Use the Policy-Based Management features or sp_configure to set the
Correct configuration.
3. Verify service account security. Review the Windows privileges given to the
Service accounts on your new SQL Server 2016 instance, and ensure that they are
The minimum required.
4. Review the authentication mode. If possible, require Windows Authentication
for all connections to SQL Server.
5. Use strong passwords. For SQL Server Authentication, require strong passwords
For all logins. Also require a strong password for the sa account, even if you are
Using Windows Authentication. Finally, enable password policy checking.
6. Change keys. Change the Service Master Key and Database Master Keys
Encryption from 3DES to AES.
--encryption settings

• Manual testing. A manual test is an inspection of all the various

configuration Settings while logged into the server. You can use a checklist
of hardening Strategies and simply check off the options as you verify them.
Settings to look for in such a test would include all the options mentioned in
this chapter that Affect services and configurations.
• Automated testing. Another option is to run an automated tool or set of tools
to help you probe for vulnerabilities and determine fixes. For example,
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
(http://technet.microsoft.com/enus/security/cc184924.aspx)

Before detaching:
• is_broker_enabled
• is_honor_broker_priority_on
• is_trustworthy_on
You can see these settings for all databases by running the following query:
SELECT * FROM sys.databases
Post-Upgrade Tasks
After the upgrade to SQL Server 2016, consider performing the following Service
Broker-related tasks.
Restoring Settings
You will have to restore the following settings after the upgrade:
• is_broker_enabled
• is_honor_broker_priority_on
• is_trustworthy_on
You can restore the settings by using the ALTER DATABASE command.