This is a quick listing of the steps necessary to perform a mirroring migration of databases in SQL Server.

Mirroring Migration Steps (high safety without a witness server)

1. Create mirroring endpoints on current server (principal) and new server (mirror).
2. For database to be migrated stop t-log backups.
3. Take full backup.
4. Move full backup to new server.
5. Restore full backup on new server.
6. Take t-log backup and move to new server.
7. Restore t-log backup.
8. Perform mirroring security steps setting partners using T-SQL scripts or SQL Management Studio GUI.
9. Allow database to come into sync.
10. Once the database is in sync go to the principle instance, right click the database and choose Tasks -> Mirror.
11. When the properties window opens to the Mirroring tab click the failover button.
12. This will change the database roles, flipping the principal and mirror instances.
13. After the databases come back into sync mirroring can be broken by opening the properties window on the new principal server and choosing Remove Mirroring.
14. When mirroring has been broken you will need to remove the mirror copy. It will be in recovery mode so you will need to issue the following T-SQL statement to recover the database so it can then be deleted.
    • RESTORE DATABASE <database name> WITH RECOVERY
15. Delete the database you just recovered.