diff --git a/influxdb_iox/tests/end_to_end_cases/database_migration.rs b/influxdb_iox/tests/end_to_end_cases/database_migration.rs
index 96ec916426..d3e16f7825 100644
--- a/influxdb_iox/tests/end_to_end_cases/database_migration.rs
+++ b/influxdb_iox/tests/end_to_end_cases/database_migration.rs
@@ -1,18 +1,47 @@
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+//! Contains tests using the CLI and other tools to test scenarios for
+//! moving data from one server/database to another
+
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 use assert_cmd::Command;
 use predicates::prelude::*;
 use tempfile::TempDir;
+use uuid::Uuid;
 
 use crate::{
     common::server_fixture::{ServerFixture, ServerType},
-    end_to_end_cases::scenario::rand_name,
+    end_to_end_cases::scenario::{data_dir, db_data_dir, Scenario},
 };
 
-/// Contains tests using the CLI and other tools to test scenarios for
-/// moving data from one server/database to another
-#[tokio::test]
-async fn migrate_database_files_from_one_server_to_another() {
+/// Copy the `source_dir` directory into the `target_dir` directory using the `cp` command
+fn cp_dir(source_dir: impl AsRef<Path>, target_dir: impl AsRef<Path>) {
+    let source_dir = source_dir.as_ref();
+    let target_dir = target_dir.as_ref();
+
+    // needed so that if the target server has had no databases
+    // created yet, it will have no `data` directory. See #3292
+    println!("Ensuring {:?} directory exists", target_dir);
+    Command::new("mkdir")
+        .arg("-p")
+        .arg(target_dir.to_string_lossy().to_string())
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+
+    println!("Copying data from {:?} to {:?}", source_dir, target_dir);
+
+    Command::new("cp")
+        .arg("-R")
+        .arg(source_dir.to_string_lossy().to_string())
+        .arg(target_dir.to_string_lossy().to_string())
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+}
+
+/// Creates a new database on a shared server, writes data to it,
+/// shuts it down cleanly, and copies the files to Tempdir/uuid
+///
+/// Returns (db_name, uuid, tmp_dir)
+async fn create_copied_database() -> (String, Uuid, TempDir) {
     let server_fixture = ServerFixture::create_single_use(ServerType::Database).await;
     let addr = server_fixture.grpc_base();
 
@@ -37,76 +66,45 @@ async fn migrate_database_files_from_one_server_to_another() {
         .success()
         .stdout(predicate::str::contains("Server initialized."));
 
-    let db_name = rand_name();
-    let db = &db_name;
+    let mut management_client = server_fixture.management_client();
+    let scenario = Scenario::new();
+    let (db_name, db_uuid) = scenario.create_database(&mut management_client).await;
 
-    // Create a database on one server
-    let stdout = String::from_utf8(
-        Command::cargo_bin("influxdb_iox")
-            .unwrap()
-            .arg("database")
-            .arg("create")
-            .arg(db)
-            .arg("--host")
-            .arg(addr)
-            .assert()
-            .success()
-            .stdout(predicate::str::contains("Created"))
-            .get_output()
-            .stdout
-            .clone(),
-    )
-    .unwrap();
-
-    let db_uuid = stdout.lines().last().unwrap().trim();
+    // todo write data and force it to be written to disk
 
     // figure out where the database lives and copy its data to a temporary directory,
     // as you might copy data from remote object storage to local disk for debugging.
-
-    // Assume data layout is <dir>/dbs/<uuid>
-    let mut source_dir: PathBuf = server_fixture.dir().into();
-    source_dir.push("dbs");
-    source_dir.push(db_uuid);
-
+    let source_dir = db_data_dir(server_fixture.dir(), db_uuid);
     let tmp_dir = TempDir::new().expect("making tmp dir");
-    let target_dir = tmp_dir.path();
-    println!("Copying data from {:?} to {:?}", source_dir, target_dir);
-
-    Command::new("cp")
-        .arg("-R")
-        .arg(source_dir.to_string_lossy().to_string())
-        .arg(target_dir.to_string_lossy().to_string())
-        .assert()
-        .success();
+    cp_dir(source_dir, tmp_dir.path());
 
     // stop the first server (note this call blocks until the process stops)
     std::mem::drop(server_fixture);
 
+    (db_name.to_string(), db_uuid, tmp_dir)
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn migrate_database_files_from_one_server_to_another() {
+    let (db_name, db_uuid, tmp_dir) = create_copied_database().await;
+
     // Now start another server that can claim the database
     let server_fixture = ServerFixture::create_shared(ServerType::Database).await;
     let addr = server_fixture.grpc_base();
 
     // copy the data from tmp_dir/<uuid> to the new server's location
     let mut source_dir: PathBuf = tmp_dir.path().into();
-    source_dir.push(db_uuid);
+    source_dir.push(db_uuid.to_string());
 
-    let mut target_dir: PathBuf = server_fixture.dir().into();
-    target_dir.push("dbs");
-
-    println!("Copying data from {:?} to {:?}", source_dir, target_dir);
-    Command::new("cp")
-        .arg("-R")
-        .arg(source_dir.to_string_lossy().to_string())
-        .arg(target_dir.to_string_lossy().to_string())
-        .assert()
-        .success();
+    let target_dir = data_dir(server_fixture.dir());
+    cp_dir(source_dir, &target_dir);
 
     // Claiming without --force doesn't work as owner.pb still record the other server owning it
     Command::cargo_bin("influxdb_iox")
         .unwrap()
         .arg("database")
         .arg("claim")
-        .arg(db_uuid)
+        .arg(db_uuid.to_string())
         .arg("--host")
         .arg(addr)
         .assert()
@@ -120,7 +118,7 @@ async fn migrate_database_files_from_one_server_to_another() {
         .unwrap()
         .arg("database")
         .arg("claim")
-        .arg(db_uuid)
+        .arg(db_uuid.to_string())
         .arg("--host")
         .arg(addr)
         .arg("--force") // sudo make me a sandwich
diff --git a/influxdb_iox/tests/end_to_end_cases/scenario.rs b/influxdb_iox/tests/end_to_end_cases/scenario.rs
index fdbae36ff9..508c1d0221 100644
--- a/influxdb_iox/tests/end_to_end_cases/scenario.rs
+++ b/influxdb_iox/tests/end_to_end_cases/scenario.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@ use generated_types::{
 use influxdb_iox_client::{
     connection::Connection,
     flight::PerformQuery,
-    management::generated_types::{partition_template, WriteBufferConnection},
+    management::{
+        self,
+        generated_types::{partition_template, WriteBufferConnection},
+    },
 };
 use prost::Message;
 use rand::{
@@ -24,12 +27,20 @@ use rand::{
     thread_rng, Rng,
 };
 use std::{
-    collections::HashMap, convert::TryInto, num::NonZeroU32, path::Path, str, sync::Arc,
-    time::Duration, time::SystemTime, u32,
+    collections::HashMap,
+    convert::TryInto,
+    num::NonZeroU32,
+    path::{Path, PathBuf},
+    str,
+    sync::Arc,
+    time::Duration,
+    time::SystemTime,
+    u32,
 };
 use tempfile::TempDir;
 use test_helpers::assert_contains;
 use time::SystemProvider;
+use uuid::Uuid;
 use write_buffer::{
     core::{WriteBufferReading, WriteBufferWriting},
     file::{FileBufferConsumer, FileBufferProducer},
@@ -116,16 +127,24 @@ impl Scenario {
         })
     }
 
-    /// Creates the database on the server for this scenario
-    pub async fn create_database(&self, client: &mut influxdb_iox_client::management::Client) {
-        client
+    /// Creates the database on the server for this scenario,
+    /// returning (name, uuid)
+    pub async fn create_database(
+        &self,
+        client: &mut management::Client,
+    ) -> (DatabaseName<'_>, Uuid) {
+        let db_name = self.database_name();
+
+        let db_uuid = client
             .create_database(DatabaseRules {
-                name: self.database_name().to_string(),
+                name: db_name.to_string(),
                 lifecycle_rules: Some(Default::default()),
                 ..Default::default()
             })
             .await
             .unwrap();
+
+        (db_name, db_uuid)
     }
 
     pub async fn load_data(&self, client: &mut influxdb_iox_client::write::Client) -> Vec<String> {
@@ -269,6 +288,24 @@ pub fn rand_id() -> String {
         .collect()
 }
 
+/// Return the path that the database stores data for all databases:
+/// `<server_path>/dbs`
+pub fn data_dir(server_path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> PathBuf {
+    // Assume data layout is <dir>/dbs/<uuid>
+    let mut data_dir: PathBuf = server_path.as_ref().into();
+    data_dir.push("dbs");
+    data_dir
+}
+
+/// Return the path that the database with <uuid> stores its data:
+/// `<server_path>/dbs/<uuid>`
+pub fn db_data_dir(server_path: impl AsRef<Path>, db_uuid: Uuid) -> PathBuf {
+    // Assume data layout is <dir>/dbs/<uuid>
+    let mut data_dir = data_dir(server_path);
+    data_dir.push(db_uuid.to_string());
+    data_dir
+}
+
 pub struct DatabaseBuilder {
     name: String,
     partition_template: PartitionTemplate,
@@ -345,7 +382,7 @@ impl DatabaseBuilder {
         self,
         channel: Connection,
     ) -> Result<(), influxdb_iox_client::error::Error> {
-        let mut management_client = influxdb_iox_client::management::Client::new(channel);
+        let mut management_client = management::Client::new(channel);
 
         management_client
             .create_database(DatabaseRules {
@@ -377,7 +414,7 @@ pub async fn create_readable_database(db_name: impl Into<String>, channel: Conne
 /// given a channel to talk with the management api, create a new
 /// database with no mutable buffer configured, no partitioning rules
 pub async fn create_unreadable_database(db_name: impl Into<String>, channel: Connection) {
-    let mut management_client = influxdb_iox_client::management::Client::new(channel);
+    let mut management_client = management::Client::new(channel);
 
     let rules = DatabaseRules {
         name: db_name.into(),