SharePoint 2013: how to move a wildcard inclusion path site collection to root

Introduction

This posting consolidates notes and references on how to move a target site collection from its wildcard inclusion path to the root of that path.  This effort is part of a larger effort to migrate a web application from wildcard inclusion topology to an explicit inclusion topology.

The procedure begins by first performing SQL Server backups of all content databases.  Next, a site collection backup is performed using the SharePoint commandlet, Backup-SPSite.  Once the target site collection has been backed up, the next task is to perform a SharePoint detach of all content databases of the target web application.  You may wish to followup this with a SQL Server detach as well, and then archiving of these databases.  Once all of the databases have been removed from the web application, the next step involves creating a new blank content database.

Procedure

1. Perform SQL Server backups of target web application content databases.  Use SQL Server Management Studio.
2. Perform a site collection backup of the target site collection.  Use Backup-SPSite.  Example:

   Backup-SPSite "http://dev/sites/test1/" -Path E:\test1.bak -UseSqlSnapshot

3. Perform SharePoint detach of target web application content databases. Use Central Administration (CA > Application Management > Databases > Manage content database). Or use Dismount-SPContentDatabase. Example:

   Dismount-SPContentDatabase "WSS_Content_OLD"

4. Create new content database at target web application. Use Central Administration (CA > Application Management > Databases > Manage content database). Or use New-SPContentDatabase.  Example:
   

   New-SPContentDatabase -Name  "WSS_Content_NEW" -WebApplication
   "http://dev/"

5. Execute Restore-SPSite against the site collection backup.  Example:

   Restore-SPSite "http://dev/" -Path E:\test1.bak -Force -DatabaseServer "DEV" -DatabaseName "WSS_Content_NEW"

6. Execute IISRESET
7. Remove wildcard inclusion managed paths from web application.  Use Central Administration (CA > Application Management > Web Applications > Manage web applications > [select the target web application] > Manage > Managed Paths.
8. Update site collection navigation.  For example, if Managed Navigation is being used, will need to update navigation term set and then re-assigned navigation to that term set.
9. Fix any custom master page JS or CSS references.  CSS reference URLs include the entire path.  These will need to be updated

References

1. Backup-SPSite
2. Dismount-SPContentDatabase
3. Attach or detach content databases in SharePoint 2013
4. New-SPContentDatabase
5. Restore-SPSite

Notes

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