1188 - Restoring a SQL database on a machine with a different hostname

From v19.1, the ESE Agent supports dynamic hostnames when restoring SQL databases. In other words, you now have the ability to restore a SQL database even when the hostname of the relevant machine has changed, for example in a disaster recovery scenario. (It was previously only possible to restore to a renamed server host by manually adding the database in the Files view.)

Two important requirements for restoring successfully:

1. The SQL instance name must remain the same (although the hostname may now change).

2. The same permissions must be set for the backup location and the restore location. In other words, the specific SQL user that has access to the database folder originally created by the Agent must also have access to the database folder created for the restore. This can be achieved by either:

• selecting the same drive letter for the restore as the original database location, or
• changing the permissions of the restore drive letter to correspond to those of the original database location.

Troubleshooting

Should the renaming of a SQL database cause the backup of that SQL instance to fail, do the following:

1. In ESE, deselect the old SQL selection from the SQL view.
2. Press CTRL+F5 to refresh the view.
3. Change the selection to the renamed SQL instance.