In Microsoft SQL Server, the data and transaction log files of a vault can be detached, and then reattached to another server, or to a different location on the same server. Detaching a vault removes it from SQL Server and from the vault master database, but leaves it intact within the data and transaction log files that compose the vault. These data and transaction log files can be used to attach the vault to any instance of SQL Server, including the server from which the vault was detached. This makes the vault available in exactly the same state it was in when it was detached.
Detaching and attaching vaults is useful if you want to move a vault to a different physical disk. For example, the disk containing the vault file ran out of disk space, and you want to expand the existing file rather than add a new file to the vault on the other disk.
When you attach a vault, you must specify the name and physical location of the primary data file as well as the SQL log file. The primary file contains the information needed to find the other files comprising the vault unless one or more of those files have changed location since the vault was detached. Any files that have changed location must be specified in addition to the primary file. Otherwise, the SQL Server tries to attach the files based on incorrect file location information stored in the primary file, and the vault is not successfully attached.
Warning: The vault server consists of two vaults by default: KnowledgeVaultMaster and Vault plus an additional vault for each new vault created. If you are moving to a new server you must move both vaults to capture all the required information for the vault server. If you are only moving locations on the same server, you do not need to change the vault master location.
The most effective way to move a vault from one computer to another is to backup the vault on the original computer and then restore the vault on the new computer. This ensures that all data is maintained.