I wish to simulate a recovery of our production server. So far I've followed
Books On Line instructions for the Master db recovery, no dice. I installed
SQL 6.5 + Sp5a  FROM SCRATCH on another server (different name), then
rebuild the Master db via setup, now Sql refuses to load .

ErrorLog:
Rec_init: Found that page 11015 had non-log object id 11015 while checking
Syslogs allocation"

Do I need to recover the whole directory structure ?

There are a couple of ways to get where you want to be.
1. After your reinstall, you must build the database(s) including the
devices.  The new database can be bigger but not smaller.  It can have
a different device structure but must be the same size as the original
or larger (example: 1 large data device instead of several small ones).
Then load your databases from the backup.  Since you've reinstalled SQL
you must also load your logins.

2. Basically the same steps as #1 above up to the part where you do the
load from backup.  After creating the databases (devices must be exact
and directory structure must be exact) bring down sql then copy the
*.dat files from the old server to the new server.  Then recreate your
logins.

I capture my database structure every night to a file on the ntfs.  On
occasions where I have to make a copy of the prod. db on some other
server, I simply run the script generated each night (after a few
modifications) then run the load from tape.  I'm still working on
generating a script for all of the objects in a db.  I will be glad to
share my nightly script if you wish.  Simply email me and I'll attach
it and return.

sidney

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Before you buy.

Marc,

The problem I think you are getting is that recovery of master database is
slightly different than other databases.  Before restoring master you have
to have recreated the master device and master database exactly as they
were.  That is, if the master device has the following layout:
     master database 5MB
     model database 1MB
     tempdb database 1MB
     master database 10MB

Then you need to have the new servers master device layed out exactly the
same.

Hope I have explained this OK.  Also hope it helps.

Tim