Hi all,
I got a project to move data from D3NT server to MS SQL server. What
are the tools within D3NT to dump the data so we can move it to SQL?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jason

jasonb1900 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com wrote:
I'll let the D3 folks answer with specific tools (I know more about
U2), but there are a few questions that might help.

1) Are you migrating data as well as the software application? In
other words, are you just asking about moving the data or converting
(rewriting) code too?

2) Are you looking for a "one-time" dump of the data or are you
starting by maintaining the data in D3 and transporting it to SQL
Server for reporting as a transitional approach until you can maintain
it outside of D3?

3) Have you done the mapping of multivalues to tables or are you
looking for an approach that handles that for you?

4) Are you planning to convert derived data (other than t-file foreign
key links) to user-defined functions or do you just need to dump the
stored data?

5) How are you planning to handle nulls in the target environment?

6) Are you planning to use dictionary descriptions to place constraints
on the SQL Server data (e.g. turning length of field in D3 to a fixed
maximum length in SQL Server)?

These questions and more. --dawn

Thanks Dawn.
All we need is to transfer data from D3NT so we can populate SQL
tables. This is to be done only once as the old applications are being
replaced.

Hi Jason,

While I am very curious about what your bid was based upon when you
acquired this project, Dawn is making it way too complicated. Here's
how you do it:

In D3, drop to TCL and issue the command:
:EXPORT.ALL
output format: MSSQL7
to: C:\TEMP\D3.ALL.DUMP

Then from the command line:
C:\TEMP\> MSSQL /Uusername /Ppassword < D3.ALL.DUMP

If your MS SQL Server version is 6.x, use that for your output format.

There you have it. All of the data will now reside in the appropriate
MSSQL tables and all BASIC programs and PROCs will be converted into
stored procedures. You will might have to manually convert the menus.

If you run into any problems there are many competent consultants here
who will be happy to help.

What's your budget look like?

Tom deL wrote:
I'll believe you on that since I have never worked with D3, but my
guess is that you are about to give a good 80% response. That might be
sufficient for the OP.

Cool.

I'd guess they already have the basics of the new system if they are
ready to port the data. If so, there will be some fun ahead in the
data & data model conversion process, I'm sure. Cheers! --dawn

I tried that one time Tom. The results were not good an we had to hire
a consultant.

Patrick, <:=)

Tom deL wrote:

If you don't want to help, keep your stupid comments to yourself.

None of this is provided in stock D3. Are you referring to some
third-party product, or maybe another MV platform?

Jason:
There is no fast or easy way to migrate to SQL for someone who is
unfamiliar with MV. If you want a free migration from MV then do some
reading and you can do it for free. Otherwise you can pay someone for
their knowledge and/or services. While I'm not wild about converting
someone out of MV, and I hope no one else is very eager to do so
either, I'll convert all of your data to SQL tables for a reasonable
T&M service fee. From and To schemas help, otherwise you're going to
get a best guess for field names and data typing. The project would
be done the fastest if you let someone convert the data in the fastest
way possible and then you use stored procedures to move the data from
intermediate files into your final schema. If you insist on doing
this yourself, then research AccuTerm and OSFI as two possible
alternatives - that's about all the free advice I can muster on this.

As a side note, in most situations where MV is being replaced, it is
done for the wrong reasons and with the wrong expectations. Here are
some invalid reasons for migration:
- it doesn't do windows or we want a web-based front-end
- our MBA management doesn't like green screen
- the owner's son just got a degree and says MV is old
- our VAR is clueless (get another VAR, not new software)
- our stockholders want us on something more modern
Many of us here can cite a number of examples of companies that
migrated for these reasons and they failed dismally to migrate to
something that satisfied their business needs. Most of them had some
lead manager who didn't have a clue about what they were coming from
or going to, but they could sell the idea of how good things were
going to be on the other side. That person is usually gone after the
first couple million dollars are wasted.

If you have found another application that does what you want, you're
using it in a production environment and you're happy with the
software and the support, then congratulations and I sincerely wish
you well.

If your strategy is to migrate from MV to some other application and
you're only now asking how to do it, then it sounds like the project
has already been mismanaged and you're in for a real tragedy. You
might want to consider getting someone new for project management in
addition to some migration services.

Good luck.
Tony
TG@ removethisNebula-RnD.com

Tony Gravagno wrote:

Thank you Tony,
After some responses I was worried I'll never get an answer. What I
was after was some "stock standard tool" in D3NT something like
Data Transformation Services in MS SQL.
I know enough pick to write a program but haven't worked with it for
years and thought I better ask if there is some tool we could use to
quickly get data out.

Regards,
Jason

Tom deL wrote:
OK, I'm catching on. I was impressed at this point.

I was really impressed with this feature until the doh! hit me,
unfortunately after clicking send on the last response. I've never
written PROCs (or really BASIC for that matter), but I have done a
little work on converting virtual fields with BASIC subrs behind them
to UDF's, so I really should KNOW you don't have a tool that converts
BASIC to SQL Server stored procedures.

Another clue. OK, I was sucked in. Perhaps you could write a
D3-to-MSSQL button we could just click. smiles. --dawn