Upgrading TFS from SQLExpress

Back Story

Some time back, I setup Team Foundation Server (TFS) on a server machine more or less dedicated to the cause. This was to test drive it to consider it as a replacement for legacy source control, requirements management, deployment, etc. Since it was a trial, run, I opted for keeping setup simpler initially, reasoning that I could expand later if I so chose. As a result, I didn’t bother with Sharepoint setup initially, and I allowed the default installation of a database, which was SQLExpress.

Once I got used to the features of the basic installation, I wanted to test out the more advanced ones, but this has proven annoyingly difficult. Setting up Sharepoint and trying to retrofit it on existing projects was an enormous hassle, and I wound up having to delete my old projects and ‘recrate’ them with Sharepoint. Granted, these were playpen sorts of projects, but there was actual work in them and they were useful — just not primetime. So, losing them would be a hassle. And besides, it’s kind of hard to fully test a system without using it to do something useful.

After letting the dust settle a bit on that annoyance, I decided I’d switch from SQLExpress to SQL Standard to get the full benefit of TFS reporting services (via SQL reporting services). This was another huge pain point, and I’m going to document below what I had to do. Basically, it involved backing up all the SQL Express databases, installing SQL Server 2008 standard, and importing those backups. This guide is by no means comprehensive and there are a lot of moving parts, so this isn’t exactly a walk through, but hopefully it will help save someone at least some annoyance in this battle and maybe shave a little time off. Read More