Splitting Sites Into New Site Collections

Part of the my current migration effort consists of taking our existing 2007 farm and upgrading it to SharePoint 2010. Given that our current SharePoint 2007 farm consists of a single site collection and content database, one of my objectives is to split out some content into it's own site collection and corresponding content database.

Here, at a high level, is how I did that.The process is farily simple and straightforward:

1. Export the selected content to a directory on the local file system using the stsadm -o export command.
2. Rename the existing web that was just exported using stsadm -o renameweb.
1. I renamed mine by appending _OLD" the the web name.
2. This will ease deleting content later.
3. Create a managed path in Central Administration to reflect the desired managed path for the new site collection.
4. Create the new content database in Central Administration.
5. Temporarily set the pre existing content database to "Offline" in Central Administration.
1. This will force the new site you are about to create to be created in the new content database.
6. Create a new top level site at the desired url, using the newly created managed path using stsadm createsite.
1. Since this is the top level site for your new site collection, you'll need to include the -owneremail and -ownerlogin flags in the command.
7. Import the content of the directory on the local filesystem into the newly created web using stsadm -o import.
8. Delete the original web and subwebs using stsadm -o deleteweb.
9. Open Central Administration and set all content databases to 'Ready'.
10. All new subwebs created under the new site collection will be placed in the new content database. Any new subwebs created in the original site collection will be placed in the original content database.

At this point you should be able to navigate to and successfully view the content you have split off into it's own site collection. Another check is to examine the size of the newly created content database in SQL Server. It should now reflect the size of the data that was imported into it.

One final step is to make sure that the "Manage Content and Structure" option is visible under Site Actions on your new top level site . If it is not listed, you'll need select Site Settings at the new top level site and activate the following features:

• Site Collection Features: SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure
• Site Features: SharePoint Server Publishing

Once these features are activated, "Manage Site Content and Structure" will now be listed under Site Actions on the top level site of the new site collection.