Managing the Database

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In Microsoft's SharePoint™ Team Services, a database stores information about SharePoint team Web site documents (metadata), Web subscriptions and Web document discussions, and other site data. For example, when users discuss or subscribe to a document on your site, their comments are stored in the database.

The database is either Microsoft® SQL Server™ 7.0 (or later), or Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE). You create the database when you install SharePoint Team Services, and that database automatically stores:

  • List data

    Many special pages in a SharePoint team Web site are lists announcements, tasks, and contacts, for example. Metadata from these lists is stored, so that you can search for items using date, subject, or author name.

  • Document library information

    Rather than storing entire documents, document properties are stored in lists, and those properties can be used in searching.

  • Web document discussion and Web subscription data

    Threaded comments about a document, list, or general topic are stored as discussion items, and all subscription information is stored in the database.

  • Usage data

    Web site usage data is stored in special read-only lists.

  • Security data

    Some security information for your site is stored in the database.

Each virtual server on your server computer has only one database. Any Web site on that virtual server shares that database, although discussion information is stored in separate tables for each Web site. You manage the database by using the Virtual Server Administration pages for your server. From these pages you can back up and restore data (MSDE or SQL Server databases), or change the password for the database (MSDE databases only). You can also use the command-line administration tools to view and manage database information.

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Note   To perform more advanced database administration tasks, you must use the SQL Server tools. For more information, see documentation for Microsoft SQL Server version 7.0 or later.

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Changing database settings

Because there is only one database for each virtual server on your Web server, you manage the database settings for all subwebs on a virtual server at one time. You can change database settings by using either the command-line tools or HTML Administration pages. From either interface, you can change the:

  • Database user name and password (for MSDE databases only)

  • Name of the SQL server used to store database information

    The new name is used for any virtual servers that are extended after the name is changed.

Using HTML Administration pages to change database settings

You can change the database connection settings for your collaboration database by using the Change Database Connection page (in the Virtual Server Administration pages). For example, you can change your database connection to use a database on a separate database server. Or you can change to a local database running MSDE.

To change the database connection
  1. On your server computer, click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Microsoft SharePoint Administrator.

  2. On the Server Administration page, next to the virtual server that you want to change, click Administration.

  3. On the Virtual Server Administration page, click Change database connection.

  4. Specify the database settings you want to use, and then click Submit.

Using the command line to change database settings

If you want to change the user name, password (MSDE databases only), or server being used for your database, you use the DatabaseConnection operation with the Owsadm or Owsrmadm utilities. You can use the DatabaseConnection operation to change the following settings.

Parameter

Description

Databaseserver

The name of the server that the database resides on. This is a global value only; you do not need to use the port parameter when you set this value. Default is the local machine name.

Databaseuser

The administrator account user name for the database. Can be set either globally or on a per-virtual server basis. Default is sa.

Databasepassword

The password for the database administrator account. Can be set either globally or on a per-virtual server basis. Can only be set for MSDE database. Use the SQL Server administration tools to change the password for a SQL Server database. Default is blank ("").

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Note   The DatabaseConnection operation encrypts the account name and password before they are stored. It also verifies that the new values are valid and returns an error if they are not.

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For example, to change the password for a particular MSDE database, you use the following syntax:

owsadm.exe -o databaseconnection -p <port> -du <username> 
-dp <password> -c changepassword <new password>

For more information about backing up and restoring the database information, see Backing up and Restoring Data.

For more information about how the database interacts with data on your Web site, see SharePoint Team Services and FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions Architecture.