How to migrate WSUS Database from WID to SqlServer on Windows Server 2012

I was trapped in migrating WSUS database from Windows Internal Database to a dedicated SqlServer instance. Due to lots of changes taken in in WSUS and WID of Windows Server 2012, the old way as Windows Server 2008R2 does not work anymore. Finally, I found a solution to do that.
All your needs:
1 A working instance of WSUS, which has a database in WID.
2 SqlServer installation package.
3 Backup before migration.

Migration steps:
1 Install a SqlServer instance. For my case, SqlServer 2012 Express x64 is chosen.
2 Install a SqlServer Management Studio.
3 Log on to this server by LOCAL ADMINISTRATOR. If your server joined a domain, you have to do this by local administrator. No matter your domain account is in local administrators group or not, you cannot do that with a domain account.
4 Open SqlServer Management Studio and connect to server \.\pipe\MICROSOFT##WID\tsql\query using Windows Authentication. You will find a database named SUSDB listed.
5 Stop service WSUS Service and IIS Admin Service.
6 Detach SUSDB. Drop active connections if needed.
7 Log off and log on to this server with your account if you like. You may need an account from local administrators group.
8 Copy database files out from C:\Windows\WID\Data. You need 2 files related to SUSDB.
9 Remove Role Windows Server Update Services and Feature Windows Internal Database. Server will have to reboot after this step.
10 Install removed role and feature again. Choose database instead of WID database. When asked to specify a path for storing updates, use the same file location as before.
11 Finish post deployment but do not open MMC.
12 Open SqlServer Management Studio and connect to the SqlServer instance installed by step 1. You need to run this instance by administrator privilege, or you will get a read-only database in next steps.
13 Stop service WSUS Service and IIS Admin Service.
14 Delete SUSDB database from SqlServer Management Studio.
15 Attach SUSDB from the location where you copied to in step 8.
16 Start service WSUS Service and IIS Admin Service.
17 End.

PS: SqlServer database is not like one in WID, it cannot be backed up by Windows Server Backup. Please choose a separated folder or volume for your database files and setup an agent job to backup them.

3 thoughts on “How to migrate WSUS Database from WID to SqlServer on Windows Server 2012

    1. Yes, you dont have to.
      But this document is outdated.If you want to follow it, you need to change the path for accessing database. And, you will have no way to uninstall WID.

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