Update database table from one SQL Server database table to another?

Question

I am trying to update database fields from one SQL Server table to another.

Our production SQL Server is [spdbprod.test.com\\spprod] , our QA server is [spdbQA.test.com\\spQA] .

I need to update table in production from QA table. I using this SQL statement but, it is giving an error.

UPDATE 
    [spdbprod.test.com\spprod].[aspnetdb].[dbo].[Communities_Groups] as t1
SET 
    t1.Show = (Select t2.show from [spdbQA.test.com\spQA].[aspnetdb].[dbo].
[Communities_Groups] as t2 where t1.GroupID = t2.GroupdID)

What I am missing here? Error: UPDATE. ("Incorrect syntax near the keyword 'as'.")

Answer 1

You are using table alias in a wrong way. You cannot do UPDATE table1 t SET field1=val , you have to write UPDATE table1 SET field=val (Or UPDATE table1 SET field=val FROM table1 t ). So change your query to

UPDATE [spdbprod.test.com\spprod].[aspnetdb].[dbo].[Communities_Groups]   
SET Show = t2.show
FROM [spdbprod.test.com\spprod].[aspnetdb].[dbo].[Communities_Groups] t1
INNER JOIN [spdbQA.test.com\spQA].[aspnetdb].[dbo].
[Communities_Groups] t2 ON (t1.GroupID = t2.GroupID)

Answer 2

I know this has been answered already but this worked for me.

• Add a Linked Server under Server Objects | Linked Servers: Microsoft documentation .

• Name the Linked Server [SERVER-NAME or <some ipaddress>, <some-port>]

  eg [10.0.0.200,2345] - I am using port 2345 but the standard MS SQL port is 1433 .

Example:

• We have a [Customers] table
• We want to update [CustomerAddress] -field for CustomerId = 123
• We want to use backup data from a server called [backupServer]
• The [backupServer] is the machine where we execute the SQL

This is the SQL-code:

UPDATE production
SET
    CustomerAddress = backupServer.CustomerAddress
FROM 
    [10.0.0.200,2345].[ProductionDatabase].[dbo].[Customers] production
INNER JOIN 
    [BackupDatabase].[dbo].[Customers] backupServer
        ON 
            production.CustomerId = backupServer.CustomerId
WHERE 
    backupServer.CustomerId = 123

Generalized format:

UPDATE production
SET
    columnName = backupServer.columnName
FROM 
    [SERVER-NAME or IP,PORT].[ProductionDatabase].[dbo].[tableName] production
INNER JOIN 
    [BackupDatabase].[dbo].[tableName] backupServer
        ON 
            production.SomeId = backupServer.SomeId
WHERE 
    backupServer.SomeId = <id>

Answer 3

I believe you have to have a database link (linked servers) for this to work.

I do not have access to two SQL servers here at work so I cannot test it, but I sure that you need the link. Do you have a linked server setup?

Here is a url that may help http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms188279.aspx

Harvey Sather

Answer 4

1. You need to add a Linked Server under Server Objects
2. You can name that Linked Server either with "CHOOSEN-NAME" or [ipaddress , port number]

how to add a linked server using tsql , please check this link : how to find linked server

for an example purpose suppose i have named the linked server "DESTINATION_SERVER" , database name is "DESTINATION_DB" and table name is "DESTINATION_TBL". then from your source server your query could be like this below:

UPDATE t1  
SET t1.updatecolumn = t2.updatecolumn
FROM [DESTINATION_SERVER].[DESTINATION_DB].[dbo].[DESTINATION_TBL] t1
INNER JOIN [SOURCE-SERVER].[SOURCE_DB].[dbo].
[SOURCE_TBL] t2 ON (t1.matcingcolumn = t2.matchingcolumn)