How to move all source code over when it was on VisualSVN Server on Vista and migrating to Windows 7?

Question

I had VisualSVN Server running perfectly on a Windows Vista machine, and then now it is to run Windows 7 on that same machine (installed on a new partition).

So now all the source code are in the repository on D: drive (it used to be on C:)

(Windows 7 will be C:, and the Vista will now become D:)

Can we just copy the D:\Repositories over as C:\Repositories, and then install VisualSVN Server on Windows 7 again and let it use C:\Repositories, and then all source code, all history (the diff and comment) will be available again?

Answer 1

I'd say give it a shot, but take an svnadmin dump of the repository before doing so. If things don't work (try svnadmin verify, update a working copy on a different box, check the log history), then go down the usual path of svnadmin dump, create, load.

So long as the URL isn't changing, i.e. the server name stays the same, clients won't need to relocate their working copy.

Answer 2

A very similar move worked fine for me.

Answer 3

Yes, this will work, I've done the same myself when setting up a new server at home and restoring repositories from backup.

Just ensure the VisualSVN service user has authorization to write to the files in question (typical problem when copying files/folders from one system to another without the same users.)

Basically, install VisualSVN server, copy over the repositories, and restart the service, and if the authorization is in place, that's it.

You might also want to look into the Security settings in VisualSVN afterwards. I'm not 100% positive it stores them using the auth files in the repositories or if it keeps them outside (I suspect it stores them there, I'm just not 100% sure of it.)

Answer 4

Yes, I tried it finally and it worked perfectly. A good thing is, I don't even need to add the project using TortoiseSVN on the new Windows 7 clients. It is added automatically from before (I think from the hidden .svn folders).