Upgrading an EPM database server

Are you considering upgrading your EPM database server to improve performance (more CPU, more RAM, and 64-bit version)?

If so, below the steps required thanks to Michael Epprecht:

1. Create a friendly DNS alias for each SQL Server with a short Time To Live (TTL) (something like 10 minutes)
2. Re-configure WSS/MOSS to use the new DNS alias as the SQL Server names.
3. Build up the new servers with new server names (but instance names must be the same as the old servers)
4. Take WSS/MOSS farm down.
5. Copy the databases and jobs across to the new server
6. Change the DNS alias to point to the new servers and wait for it to propagate.
7. Bring up WSS/MOSS farm
8. Test, if all is OK, leave DNS as is, else take WSS/MOSS down again and re-point DNS it at the old servers.