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You first make ready the new environment by installing your new 64bit SQL server on top of x64 Win 2008R2. Since you are essensially doing side by side upgrade you have multiple options to move your databases to the new server. One that I recommend is backup/restore method: taking a backup of your user databases and restoring it on the new environment(you can also do attach/detach or use SSIS to move your data). Make sure you also move the logins and jobs. If things didnt go well you still have the old system to fall back on. [Considerations for Side-by-Side Instances of SQL Server 2008 R2 and SQL Server 2008][1] [How to move databases between computers that are running SQL Server][2] [1]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee210714.aspx [2]: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314546

Currently going through a massive number of DB migrations at work. The basic technical process is as @DaniSQL stated: - Install Windows - Install SQL Server - Migrate user databases - Check user information However, you should at this point have a period of running so that the QA / testing / audit teams can make sure that things are *right*, and stuff still works as it should and as expected, albeit hopefully somewhat quicker. It's important to get sign-off on this process, if only to get some sort of assurance that this user acceptance testing has been performed - people are more likely to work at it if you are getting a signature! Once you have sign-off: - retransfer the databases - redirect applications, websites etc - go to pub. You'll need to pay particular attention to the performance of the system - it would be an idea to take a benchmark of the old system under load and compare it with the new system under similar load - so that you can justify the expenditure. It's also a good idea not to go on holiday at this point - there's bound to be something wrong somewhere, and you will be the first person to get blamed. You'll also need to arrange suitable times for taking down the live system in order to perform the final migration, and to ensure that you have sign-off before switching the real live environment over to the new environment. Oh, and make sure you lock down the old systems so that nobody can access them accidentally! Additional: I [wrote about this last year][1] too... Hmm. [1]: http://thelonedba.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/sql-server-upgrades-ahoy/