How do I copy SQL Server 2012 database to localdb instance?

Question

I\'m looking to copy a SQL Server 2012 Standard database to my localdb instance. I\'ve tried the wizard which complains that localdb isn\'t a SQL Server 2005 or later expres

Answer 1

Try these scripts (example with adventureworks2012 that I personally tested):

RESTORE FILELISTONLY
FROM DISK = 'c:\temp\adv2012.bak'

This will bring up the filenames as:

AdventureWorks2012      C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.MSSQL2012RTM\MSSQL\DATA\AdventureWorks2012.mdf
AdventureWorks2012_log  C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.MSSQL2012RTM\MSSQL\DATA\AdventureWorks2012_log.ldf

Use these filenames to cinstruct your final script as this:

RESTORE DATABASE AdventureWorks2012
FROM DISK = 'C:\temp\adv2012.bak'

WITH MOVE 'AdventureWorks2012' TO 'C:\cnom_WS\Local-Databases\AdventureWorks\AdventureWorks2012.mdf',
MOVE 'AdventureWorks2012_log' TO 'C:\cnom_WS\Local-Databases\AdventureWorks\AdventureWorks2012_log.ldf',
REPLACE;

BTW I run these through Visual Studio (SQL Server Object explorer), but I strongly suspect this could be run on SSMS easily ;-)

Answer 2

Try scripting your database as schema and data and then running the script locally.

Answer 3

I had the same issue, and after doing a little online research I came across an ingenious way to get it to work (albeit quite hacky). Basically, you:

1. Create a SqlLocalDb instance (SqlLocalDb c tmp -s).
2. Restore the database as you did above (e.g., SqlCmd -E -S <localdb connection string> -Q "RESTORE DATABASE ...").
3. Stop the SqlLocalDb instance (SqlLocalDb p tmp).
4. Delete the SqlLocalDb instance (SqlLocalDb d tmp).
5. Create a new SqlLocalDb instance (SqlLocalDb c persistent -s).
6. Create the database in the new instance by attaching it (SqlCmd -E -S <persistent connection string> -Q "Create Database <dbname> On (Filename = '<Mdf file location'), (Filename = '<Ldf Filename'>) For Attach".

And hopefully it should work. See here for original idea.

Edit: Added Jason Brady's correction of the create command.