How to port my Express database to SQL Server in preparation for making website live

Question

I am creating a website in Visual Studio with C# (WebForms).

It is a data-driven website, allowing the user to filter data, but not update it (read-only).

The data tables, from my perspective, anyway, are huge - well over a million records in some of the tables.

These are in a SQL Server Express database. I assume I will need to port that to "regular" SQL Server when I have the site hosted and "go live."

Are there are any Tutorials on how to do that (port from Express to standard SQL Server)?

Answer 1

SQL Server Express Edition is licensed and suitable for production workloads. It's just has restrictions on the amount of resources it can use and the database size. So depending on how you host your web site and what the load on it is, you might not require a migration.

Answer 2

You have 2 ways

1. Get a new server install SQL Server standard on it. Take user database backup from SQL Server express, move it and restore it on standard edition. Then move script out logins and password using Sp_help_revlogin. Then move permission
2. You do an inplace upgrade of SQL Server express to standard edition.

I'm wondering if maybe this is a service that a web site hoster would provide, perhaps "as necessary." For instance, if the Express DB ran up against its limitations, would they migrate it to "regular" or "standard" MS SQL Server?

If you believe current express edition which has limitation of 10 GB data file, 1 CPU core, Little more than1 GB RAM for DB engine sufficient then by all mean you can use express edition in production. Else you would have to move to standard edition. See article posted by David

Answer 3

Interesting, thanks; I'm hoping it gets hit pretty hard. Can you be more specific on the limitations of Express and what you mean by "how I host my web site"?