Moving a Subversion repository to another server

Question

I have a server that hosts my Subversion code base. That server is currently a Windows Server 2003 box, and my IT administrator wants to update it to Windows Server 2008.

This means that I'm going to need to move my Subversion repository while the server gets built up and was wondering what the best practices are for moving the repository to a new server.

It seems like, looking online, the recommended way is to use:

svnadmin dump /path/to/repository > repository-name.dmp 

And then use:

svnadmin create repository-name svnadmin load repository-name< repository-name.dmp 

To import the repository.

Does the method above seem like the best approach?

Answer 1

Yes, dumping and loading the repository is a way to go. Copying the repository folder directly is a viable option if, and only if, you are certain nobody will be accessing the repository while the copy process is in progress (or you can do a "hot copy" of the repository, which can handle these cases in a safe manner).

You will also need to either re-checkout all your working copies, or use the svn switch command, which merely rewrites URLs. A more convenient way is to use TortoiseSVN's Relocate command, which reduces the risk of making a mistake during the relocation process.