I just moved a portal from one server to another, but my site collection is missing. Here are the steps I followed: Backed up existing Content DB Created new web app on new front-end server and specified a dummy Content DB (to be removed later) Added original Content DB to new web application on new server via STSADM addcontentdb command (I noticed this completed way too quickly - like after 5 min for a 32 GB Content DB) Stopped/removed dummy Content DB Started newly added Content DB When I try to load the URL, I get a "The webpage cannot be found" error. Upon checking Central Admin>Application Management>Site Collection List, I see that there is nothing listed. Ahh! Any help would be appreciated!

Hi, You needed to remove the dummy Db prior to adding the original Content_Db. Delete the Original Content_Db from the WebApp and add the Original Content_Db back to the webApplication.. Cheers, -IvanIvan Sanders My LinkedIn Profile, My Blog, @iasanders.

Hi, When you try to move content DB to a new box , make sure you check the pre requisities: 1. Source content DB must be at lower or same patch level than target. 2. Install all required solution (all WSP in source must be installed in target prior attaching) 3. Ensure that the target has all required language packs. 4. Ensure that you have prepared all managed path prior attaching. 5. Ensure that there is no content DB in target with the same SID (system ID). Following scenarios might prevent you to see the site collection after attaching content DB from the source: 1. You staged PROD from DEV - and after few month you moved back PROD to DEV. Since PROD content DB is coming from DEV, restoring content DB with the same SID will prevent you to see the site. 2. The URL path of the site collection is exists in target. You are moving content DB , of site (http://somesite/sites/foo) - however in the target you already have http://targetsite/sites/foo 3. The managed path of site collection doesn't exists in target You are moving content DB of site (http://somesite/managedpath/foo) - the "managedpath" is wildcard/explicit exlusion. However in target you have not specify the "managedpath" . Best regards, Riwut Libinuko SharePoint Architect, Singapore Microsoft MVP | SharePoint Server | Singapore Blog : http://blog.libinuko.com

One of the issues when using stadm -o addcontentdb if you fat finger the db name SharePoint will add a non-existent db, this also occurs when adding a content db through the GUI. If using the GUI or review the content db section after using stadm you will see the Current Number of Number of Sites in the Db and can be used as a quick indicator of success.. -IvanIvan Sanders My LinkedIn Profile, My Blog, @iasanders.

Ivan, I'm not sure what you mean by "fat finger". Can you clarify?

So you have 2 SharePoint farms, pointing to the same DB?Regards, Aaron www.aaron-rendell.co.uk

Create the web application, with the name of the content DB you wish to add. I assume its removed from the other existing farm (and before unattaching, there were site collections within that DB?) Does the 30GB's refer to data, or the overall size of the DB with x amounts of data and remainder spare?Regards, Aaron www.aaron-rendell.co.uk

Ahh - another admin attached this restored db to the web server without letting anyone know! Since the content db was already was already there, this caused the Site Collection ID to remain in the SiteMap table on the Configuration Database. During a normal -addcontentdb operation, the SiteMap table is updated with the Site Collection ID of the newly added db. In this case, the Site Collection ID was already there but for a different web app so it errored out.