Migrate SQL Jobs and SQL logins from one server to another.
Many times there are situations where you need to migrate the databases from one server to another. The easiest way to do this is to backup all those user databases and restore them on another server. In this way you will migrate all your SQL databases to another server. After this when you want to migrate SQL Jobs and SQL Logins to another server, things are problematic.
Table of Contents
Migrate SQL Jobs
Method 1
If both servers are having SQL server with same SQL version and Service pack, go ahead and take the backup of database “MSDB” and restore it on another server. Make note that if there is a difference in the version or service pack of SQL server this method will not work.
Method 2
If both SQL servers are on different version, then simple backup and restore method will not work. During those cases you need to create script for SQL Jobs on the first server and execute it on another server. In order to create a single script for multiple SQL jobs you need to follow the procedure listed below:
- Login to SQL Server Management Studio.
- Open object explorer.

3. Now expand SQL Server Agent and click on “Jobs“.
4. You can see all jobs in the object explorer. Select all jobs > right click on it > select “Script Job as” > “CREATE To“.

5. Now execute the script on another server to create all these jobs on the server.
Migrate SQL Logins
We can migrate logins in the same manner as we had migrated SQL jobs. Note that, this method will work only for Windows Authentication logins. If you try to migrate SQL logins with this method, it will ask you to reset the password on another server.
In order to find a solution, Microsoft came up with a script to create two Stored procedures which allow you to migrate the SQL logins to another server with their passwords. You need to perform the following steps in order to achieve this.
- Execute the script shown below on your Server.
USE masterGOIF OBJECT_ID ('sp_hexadecimal') IS NOT NULL DROP PROCEDURE sp_hexadecimalGOCREATE PROCEDURE sp_hexadecimal @binvalue varbinary(256), @hexvalue varchar (514) OUTPUTASDECLARE @charvalue varchar (514)DECLARE @i intDECLARE @length intDECLARE @hexstring char(16)SELECT @charvalue = '0x'SELECT @i = 1SELECT @length = DATALENGTH (@binvalue)SELECT @hexstring = '0123456789ABCDEF'WHILE (@i <= @length)BEGIN DECLARE @tempint int DECLARE @firstint int DECLARE @secondint int SELECT @tempint = CONVERT(int, SUBSTRING(@binvalue,@i,1)) SELECT @firstint = FLOOR(@tempint/16) SELECT @secondint = @tempint - (@firstint*16) SELECT @charvalue = @charvalue + SUBSTRING(@hexstring, @firstint+1, 1) + SUBSTRING(@hexstring, @secondint+1, 1) SELECT @i = @i + 1ENDSELECT @hexvalue = @charvalueGO IF OBJECT_ID ('sp_help_revlogin') IS NOT NULL DROP PROCEDURE sp_help_revloginGOCREATE PROCEDURE sp_help_revlogin @login_name sysname = NULL ASDECLARE @name sysnameDECLARE @type varchar (1)DECLARE @hasaccess intDECLARE @denylogin intDECLARE @is_disabled intDECLARE @PWD_varbinary varbinary (256)DECLARE @PWD_string varchar (514)DECLARE @SID_varbinary varbinary (85)DECLARE @SID_string varchar (514)DECLARE @tmpstr varchar (1024)DECLARE @is_policy_checked varchar (3)DECLARE @is_expiration_checked varchar (3)DECLARE @defaultdb sysname IF (@login_name IS NULL) DECLARE login_curs CURSOR FOR SELECT p.sid, p.name, p.type, p.is_disabled, p.default_database_name, l.hasaccess, l.denylogin FROM sys.server_principals p LEFT JOIN sys.syslogins l ON ( l.name = p.name ) WHERE p.type IN ( 'S', 'G', 'U' ) AND p.name <> 'sa'ELSE DECLARE login_curs CURSOR FOR SELECT p.sid, p.name, p.type, p.is_disabled, p.default_database_name, l.hasaccess, l.denylogin FROM sys.server_principals p LEFT JOIN sys.syslogins l ON ( l.name = p.name ) WHERE p.type IN ( 'S', 'G', 'U' ) AND p.name = @login_nameOPEN login_cursFETCH NEXT FROM login_curs INTO @SID_varbinary, @name, @type, @is_disabled, @defaultdb, @hasaccess, @denyloginIF (@@fetch_status = -1)BEGIN PRINT 'No login(s) found.' CLOSE login_curs DEALLOCATE login_curs RETURN -1ENDSET @tmpstr = '/* sp_help_revlogin script 'PRINT @tmpstrSET @tmpstr = '** Generated ' + CONVERT (varchar, GETDATE()) + ' on ' + @@SERVERNAME + ' */'PRINT @tmpstrPRINT ''WHILE (@@fetch_status <> -1)BEGIN IF (@@fetch_status <> -2) BEGIN PRINT '' SET @tmpstr = '-- Login: ' + @name PRINT @tmpstr IF (@type IN ( 'G', 'U')) BEGIN -- NT authenticated account/group SET @tmpstr = 'CREATE LOGIN ' + QUOTENAME( @name ) + ' FROM WINDOWS WITH DEFAULT_DATABASE = [' + @defaultdb + ']' END ELSE BEGIN -- SQL Server authentication -- obtain password and sid SET @PWD_varbinary = CAST( LOGINPROPERTY( @name, 'PasswordHash' ) AS varbinary (256) ) EXEC sp_hexadecimal @PWD_varbinary, @PWD_string OUT EXEC sp_hexadecimal @SID_varbinary,@SID_string OUT -- obtain password policy state SELECT @is_policy_checked = CASE is_policy_checked WHEN 1 THEN 'ON' WHEN 0 THEN 'OFF' ELSE NULL END FROM sys.sql_logins WHERE name = @name SELECT @is_expiration_checked = CASE is_expiration_checked WHEN 1 THEN 'ON' WHEN 0 THEN 'OFF' ELSE NULL END FROM sys.sql_logins WHERE name = @name SET @tmpstr = 'CREATE LOGIN ' + QUOTENAME( @name ) + ' WITH PASSWORD = ' + @PWD_string + ' HASHED, SID = ' + @SID_string + ', DEFAULT_DATABASE = [' + @defaultdb + ']' IF ( @is_policy_checked IS NOT NULL ) BEGIN SET @tmpstr = @tmpstr + ', CHECK_POLICY = ' + @is_policy_checked END IF ( @is_expiration_checked IS NOT NULL ) BEGIN SET @tmpstr = @tmpstr + ', CHECK_EXPIRATION = ' + @is_expiration_checked END END IF (@denylogin = 1) BEGIN -- login is denied access SET @tmpstr = @tmpstr + '; DENY CONNECT SQL TO ' + QUOTENAME( @name ) END ELSE IF (@hasaccess = 0) BEGIN -- login exists but does not have access SET @tmpstr = @tmpstr + '; REVOKE CONNECT SQL TO ' + QUOTENAME( @name ) END IF (@is_disabled = 1) BEGIN -- login is disabled SET @tmpstr = @tmpstr + '; ALTER LOGIN ' + QUOTENAME( @name ) + ' DISABLE' END PRINT @tmpstr END FETCH NEXT FROM login_curs INTO @SID_varbinary, @name, @type, @is_disabled, @defaultdb, @hasaccess, @denylogin ENDCLOSE login_cursDEALLOCATE login_cursRETURN 0GO
The script will create the following two Stored procedures in master database.
sp_hexadecimal and sp_help_revlogin
2. Run the following command in new query window.
EXEC sp_help_revlogin
This will generate script of all logins with their original Passwords.
3. Now execute this generated script on another server to create these logins with their original passwords.