Sqlcmd command strips $ out of query variable

powershellsqlcmd

What I am trying to do

Restore a database from backup using sqlcmd. Sqlcmd is being called by PowerShell.

What is the issue

The server folder which contains the database backups has a $ inside of the name. ie Hostname$InstanceName. When I try to restore any databases I get an error and notice it is trying to restore from \\networkshare\Hostname\DatabaseName\Database.bak

You'll notice that everything after the $ got stripped out. I believe this is due to sqlcmd's support of variables (-v parameter). I have tried to use the -x parameter (disable variable substitution) with no success.

This process works fine with folders that do not have $ inside of their names.

Does anyone know what I can try from here? Or see if I'm doing something wrong.

Thanks

Sample code

$Source_Server = "Hostname`$InstanceName"
$FQFile_DatabaseBackup = $Network_Share + "\" + $Source_Server + "\" + $Source_Database + "\Database.bak"
$Query_RestoreDatabase = "RESTORE DATABASE [$Source_Database] FROM DISK = '$FQFile_DatabaseBackup' WITH RECOVERY, REPLACE"
Invoke-Expression -Command "sqlcmd -x -S `"$Destination_Server`" -d `"master`" -E -Q `"$Query_RestoreDatabase`""

Best Answer

Have you tried defining $InstanceName as a string literal with single quotations?

PS C:\> $GoodInstanceName = '$myInstanceName'
PS C:\> "Hostname$GoodInstanceName"
Hostname$myInstanceName

PS C:\> $BadInstanceName = "$myInstanceName"
PS C:\> "Hostname$BadInstanceName"
Hostname

In Powershell, string literals that are defined with double-quotes will resolve variables. However, if they are defined with single-quotes, they will not. Since $myInstanceName resolved in the $BadInstanceName example but has never been defined, it will simply resolve to an empty string.

I suspect this (or something similar) is the problem since the error seems to do with your completed path string.

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