Re: Transfering Data

George R. Saunders wrote: > > Greetings- > > We use a client tracking software called CustomerQ by Quintus > Corporation. CustomerQ stores all of its data in an Informix 5.0 > database on our Sun Sparc Station LX (SunOS 4.1.3). We are now looking > into moving the data from the UNIX platform to a WindowsNT platform and > possibly a different client tracking software. Is the transfer of data > from an Informix 5.0 UNIX database to a WindowsNT platform possible? If > so, do I need to obtain commercial software to implement the transfer; > what companys/software should I look to if this is necessary? > > Any help/comments will be appreciated. > > Thank you, > > George R. Saunders > Systems Administrator > Orion Systems Group > Long Island, New York If you are moving to an NT version (still using Informix) of your existing vendor's software there should be no problem. Informix includes programs called dbexport and dbimport. Dbexport will unload all the data plus the instructions to build a similar database and dbimport will reload them onto the new database. There is a parameter, the extent size, which you may have to tweak in the database definitions but your vendor ought to be able to help. If, however, you are moving to a non-Informix database of your vendor's software the format of the files which dbexport produces will not be compatible and more work will be needed, possibly by writing ACE or 4GL reports to export the data in the appropriate format. If the application you use is different to your exsting one then you have bigger problems. The data fields may be different in number and/or size and the structure of the data - the relationships between the tables which hold the data - may be different. This might even apply if you move from one version of your vendor's software to another although in this case the differences will probably be slight and the vendor should be able to provide scripts to make the data fit. If, however, there are large differences someone will have to do some work to draw up a scheme of how to get from A to B and there would probably be a need to write reports to export the data. In such a position I would ask the vendor of the new application - and if they were unwilling or unable to help I would have to ask myself if this might reflect the support they would give in the future and whether they were the right choice. Ask before you sign the dotted line! Ian Goddard