Month: November 2024

SQL Server database backup restore on lower version

How to restore a higher version SQL Server database backup file onto a lower version SQL Server?

We can use functionality called Export Data-Tier Application which generates .bacpac file consisting database schema and data.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/data-tier-applications/export-a-data-tier-application?view=sql-server-ver16

On destination server, you can use Import Data-Tier Application option which creates and populates new database from pre-created .bacpac file

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/data-tier-applications/import-a-bacpac-file-to-create-a-new-user-database?view=sql-server-ver16

If you want just to transfer database schema, you can use Extract Data-Tier Application for creating file and Deploy Data-Tier Application for deploying created database schema.

I’ve tried this process on different versions of SQL Server from SQL 2022 to SQL 2017, SQL 2014 to SQL 2012 and from SQL 2014 to SQL 2008R2 and worked well.