It is not possible to dump a database in one processor architecture and load it in another. If the dump being loaded is from SQL Server 6.0, an attempt to load to another processor architecture will return an error. An attempt to load a dump from an earlier SQL Server release to another processor architecture may not return an error. Even if the operation appears to succeed, serious problems will subsequently result. (Also, you cannot run the setup program to perform an upgrade from a database environment that existed on a different computer.)
For example, you cannot dump a database from an Alpha AXP-based computer and load it into an Intel-based computer. Nor should you copy MASTER.DAT from an Intel-based computer to a MIPS- or Alpha AXP-based computer and run setup to upgrade it.
However, you can use SQL Transfer Manager to simply transfer data from one architecture to another. For information, see Chapter 11, Exporting and Importing Data.