Compare Servers

This article explains how you can use the Compare Wizard to compare different servers, including IIS and SQL servers.

Navigate to the Backstage Actions Screen and click the Compare Wizard button.

1. Select Servers as the comparison type and then one of the three subtypes. Choose either IIS Servers, SQL Servers or just Servers. Click Next to continue.

2. Under the Farm Selection, you can select different, previously taken snapshots and compare them. You can choose just one snapshot if you wish to compare two different servers but using the same snapshot reference.

   By default, from version 6.1 onwards, farm snapshots are stored in the SPDocKit database. If you have more than one farm connected to the same SPDocKit database, you will see snapshots from all these farms. If you are not using the SPDocKit database, snapshots will be stored in the Snapshots folder defined in Service Settings. The default Snapshots folder is C:\ProgramData\SPDocKit\Snapshots.

   The Farm selection step will list all available snapshots from the SPDocKit database or Snapshots folder. If the desired snapshot is not located in either of these locations, click Import to select a snapshot file from another location. Importing snapshots is a one-time action, so the next time you run the Compare Wizard you will have to repeat the process. If you would like to import these snapshots permanently, click Import in the Snapshots tab.

3. Choose a certain server on both source and target sides. The Results window shows the detected differences marked using different colors. The upper part of the window shows all available farm reports in a hierarchical structure, while the bottom half displays the detected differences between currently selected objects.

   • For IIS Servers compare, available reports will be in Servers in Farm and IIS categories.

   • For SQL Servers compare, available reports will be in Servers in Farm and SQL categories.

   • For Server compare option, only Servers in Farm reports will be available.