Knowledge Base

Cannot Start DB when upgrading from Sybase 8 to 10

Hint Ref: 020906110009
Hint Date: 11/06/2009

Hint Details:

PROBLEM:

 

In order to do an upgrade of a Sybase 8 database to Sybase 10, it is necessary to do an unload of the Sybase 8 database and a reload of the database, both operations being performed in Sybase 10.

However, it has been reported that in some cases when trying to open the 8 database in Sybase 10, an error is displayed, such as 'Auto Start of Database Failed' or 'Unable to Start Specified Database'.

CAUSE:

If, when a copy of the original database is taken, transactions have not been committed, when the database is started, it will go into recovery mode in order to rollback these incomplete transactions.

However, when Sybase 10 opens the database in order to unload it, it opens it in Read-Only mode and as a result cannot perform the recovery operation on the Sybase 8 database.  This results in an error.

SOLUTION:

Simply connect to the database to be upgraded with Sybase 8 and immediately disconnect. On connecting the recovery process will complete so that once disconnected from the Sybase 8 engine the upgrade process to Sybase 10 can be completed without error.