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Is it possible to convert the Tridion CMS database from MS SQL Server to Oracle, without afresh installation of Tridion? On an existing DB we have steps provided to upgrade but what will be the steps to migrate DB?
Thanks for the answers :) It sounds great as well scary!! Once we install the new DB, where do we configure it?
Is it the place shown in the screen shot here and TridionContentManager.Config?
Yes, it's possible, I've done it before, but don't expect to get SDL support afterwards. I've migrated Oracle to MS SQL, but steps are still the same:
Create a database on Oracle. It should be of same version as MS SQL. This will give you correct stored procedures
Migrate data from all tables. There are plenty tools to do the job for you. Most of the tables will go just fine as data types for columns correspond between the two. The only table you migh get problems with is PUBLICATIONS. I don't remember the exact columns, but in some cases you have to match MS SQL bool to int of Oracle ad a few more like this. For this (as amount of publications is relatively low) you can write a query for MS SQL which will print you INSERT statement for Oracle. You may also omit some of the columns as not all of them required, but it will give quite some troubles later on.
So all in all it's doable but you have to have a very valid reason to do this.
I've done it once for a customer, it was a horrible job to do since the sequences didn't migrate well with the data migration assistant from Oracle (but that might have changed as it was a long time ago). We fixed that by setting them all manually, but it took quite a while before everything was running without any errors.
It isn't a supported process for sure, so if you really need it, you should contact SDL Customer Support or SDL Professional Services to advice for sure.
I'd choose for a fresh database and Content Porter, you will get new TCMURIs for all items, but it is guaranteed to work a lot better.
Good point you made on how to change the Database Type in the SDL Tridion MMC Snap-in. Customer Support has a tool which will be able to switch this for you. So again, you will need to contact them.
In addition to what others has suggested, please also follow the Installation Manual for SDL Tridion as you may need to apply some additional patch while you shift to Oracle.
Regarding where all you need to change the type of DB and the DB instance, you may choose the SDL Content Manager Config MMC, but once you do changes in any value, do not forget to restart the SDL Content Manager DCOM+ Application, All Tridion Services and IIS as well (to be on safer side).
Further, apart from options suggested by others, you may try to evaluate if it makes sense to create a separate instance altogether and re-do all your stuff manually - It may depend how much items (Publications, CT, PT, Pages, Component) you have in Tridion and whether it would be good to recreate them and re-publish or an automation job need to be created.
