SharePoint 2010 - Create Site Collection With New Content Database

In this article I would like to explore the trick that allows creation of a Site Collection with a new Content Database, everything through Central Administration.



Why a trick?

A trick is needed since the new site collection creation does not allow us to select the content database name. It randomly selects the database and this aspect we need to control.

What are the steps involved?

The following is the procedure:

1. Create the new content database
2. Make all other databases offline
3. Create a new site collection
4. Ensure the new database name
5. Return all databases to online

Step 1: Create a new content database

Open Central Administration and choose "Manage content databases".



In the page that appears create a new content database.





Step 2: Make all other databases offline

Back in the databases list, select all other databases (except NewDb) and make them Offline.



Then save the changes, continue doing this for all databases except our NewDb. The final list should look like:



Please note that only one database is active now, this will make SharePoint to choose it while creating the new site collection.



Step 3: Create new site collection

Now our new content database is created and set to the Started state, we can proceed with creating the new site collection. In Central Administration choose the "Create site collections" link.



Enter the site collection creation parameters and click the "Ok" button. Please note that there is no field to specify the content database, it is automatically taken from the available content database in the background.



Step 4: Ensure new database name

Once the new site collection is created, you can verify the database name. Open Central Administration then select the "Application Management" > "View all site collections" link.



In the appearing site collection list, click on the new site collection, you can see the database name in the right hand side panel.



Please note that the database name is NewDb.

Step 5: Return all databases to online

Now we have completed the new site collection creation with the new content database name. Please return all the content databases to the Ready state.

Open Central Administration then select "Manage content database" then choose each then set each to the Ready state.



After completing those steps, you will see all the databases set to online.



Note: Please note that PowerShell command New-SPSite provides the option to specify a content database name.

References

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff607937.aspx 

Summary

In this article we have explored a Central Administration route to create a new site collection with a specified content database.