[sims] Testing Sims and FMS database backups. Question about users and passwords

[edutech4schools]

About 6 Months back we had an issue where we lost our SQL server and after it was re-built and the Sims / fms databases were restored it turned out that the backups did not contain the users or their passwords, this included my main sims and fms 'God' accounts. We were basically stuffed for a while, but it did get sorted.

 

To make sure we do not get in an issue like before, I will be running very frequent test restores. I have a test server with SQL installed along with sims and fms and a few weeks ago I restored both the sims and fms databases on to this test server and all was OK.

 

I want to test the Sims and FMS backups again but have realised that if I detach a database from my test server it does not delete the users / passwords from SQL server for the sims or fms users, it just seems to delete the databases, and as a result I am not able to test another restore to see if the backups do contain the usernames and passwords.

 

Does that make sense?

 

Would selecting 'Drop SQLserver Logins' achieve what I would call a 'FULL' database removal?

 

Any ideas how I might be able to achieve this?

 

EDIT: I could use a VM to do the testing and restore a snapshot, but do not really want to go back through the process of installing everything again if I can help it.

Edited November 18, 2014 by edutech4schools

[vikpaw]

Virtual is gonna be way better for what you want. You could do a P2V conversion.

The other option is, to backup the master database on a clean install with no sims restored yet, and then when you detach the test DBs. restore the master too. That's where the users are stored.

 

The detach process copies them from master to the db file and then the attach pushes them to master.

However having said that, a restore of a database file does push users in. There is another thread and a document from Capita that explains the whole process quite well, though i do understand your wish to test.

 

One other thing you can do is to change your or a test account's password on the live server. Backup the db and restore the file to test. See if the password has been updated. If that fails, then you can manually run the two procedures that copy the passwords between master and sims db. Not sure what the procedure is for FMS. Again, search for the other thread regarding backup / password recovery.

Edited November 19, 2014 by vikpaw

[edutech4schools]

Thanks once again @vikpaw Think I will create a VM today and do all my testing in that.