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I have a SQL Server 2012 installation with a hosting provider that is an active/passive high-availability setup. (Exact version 11.0.5058)

We recently migrated to this server from a 2008 install in a different data center.

There is a database that now shows up in SSMS called "distribution1". It appears to be offline.

I know there is a System Database called distribution, but I have no idea what this distribution1 database is.

My hosting provider said they couldn't provide any advice about it and to contact the developer and well... that's me.

This may be a very dumb question, but is it safe to assume that this database is not doing anything since it is offline anyway?

  • Why don't you just leave it offline and ignore it, in case it is important? I don't know how anyone other than you can guess if dropping it will go "without any consequence." – Aaron Bertrand Mar 25 '15 at 19:04
  • @AaronBertrand let me rephrase. Could it be doing anything if it is offline? –  Mar 25 '15 at 19:06
  • @AaronBertrand with regards to ignoring it, imho, it is bad practice to leave cruft sitting around. I just don't know if it is actually cruft. –  Mar 25 '15 at 19:09
  • No, offline is offline. But that doesn't mean it isn't an important database. Have you looked at the properties such as owner, created date, etc.? Have you brought it online so you can look at the tables and data? You and I likely have very different definitions of cruft. Personally, I can't label something as cruft if I don't have a clue what it is. YMMV. And if you can't figure out if it is cruft, how do you expect this community to? – Aaron Bertrand Mar 25 '15 at 19:10
  • @AaronBertrand Exactly that. I don't know if it is cruft. Great idea about the properties. Kind of a d'oh! moment for me on that one. Appreciate the help and the time. –  Mar 25 '15 at 19:16

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Offline is offline; the database can't be "doing anything" unless there is application code somewhere that changes it from offline to online and then back again.

As to whether you can drop it, well, we have no idea. It may be cruft, but it may be important. (Think about me asking if this cable I found in my basement goes to anything important - I wasn't actively using it, obviously, but I may need to charge some device tomorrow that needs it.)

To get a better idea of what this database is, you can try to get some clues or trigger your memory in various ways:

  • Take a look at revealing properties, such as create date / owner.
  • Bring the database online temporarily, and inspect the names of tables and the data inside them. If you are afraid to bring it online long enough to inspect it, you can bring it online just long enough to set it to single_user and back it up, then take it back offline, then restore a copy as a different name, and inspect the copy.
  • Review the default trace (see some examples here) to see if there are any significant events (but the default trace rolls over, so it may not go back far enough).
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  • Just as a note, I couldn't back it up (through SSMS anyway) since it was offline. So I brought it online (even though I was very afraid ;)) and it did appear to be cruft. I dropped it about 5 minutes ago, and as of yet, no fire and brimstone to report. :) –  Mar 25 '15 at 19:49
  • @Jim Updated, hadn't tried it tbh. – Aaron Bertrand Mar 25 '15 at 19:54