I have an existing Access database that has out grown it's usefulness. I have written a Visual Basic program that uses a SQL Server database and have been re-entering the data from the Access file into SQL Server individually.
I still have 300+ records to move and would like to find a way to do all this using either a data snippet in Visual Basic, or using SQL Server Express. I'm smart enough to set up and use Access, and smart enough to create a program and database in Visual Basic and SQL Server but for some reason I not smart enough to move the records between the 2 databases.
When I originally created the .mdf file I attempted to move the records at that time but everything I tried didn't work so I figured I'd get it later, but now I have 300+ records in the .mdf file and need to get the others moved over. Anybody have any ideas?
Easiest thing to do is create your database, then in SSMS's Object Explorer, right click on the database, Tasks -> Import Data ... and go through the Import/Export wizard, selecting MS Access as your source.
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I have created a windows form project which is based in vb.net in Visual Studio. This form acts as the front end to the database.
I decided this time round to try use the Dataset Designer in Visual Studio and found it convenient. Using the Wizard I linked up the MS Access database to create the Dataset in the project. This then automatically generated all the relevant table adapters, datasets, bindingsources and so on.
Now, the aim is to transition the same Access database to SQL-server.
The Question is whether it is possible to simply swap the Dataset in Visual Studio to from Access to SQL which have the same table names, structure, relations... I tried modifying the connection string in Settings.settings with no success.
This would save me a lot of time from going through each object and updating the datasource to the new SQL database.
You should be able to establish a separate connection to sql server using ado. You can find typical connection strings easily: try http://www.connectionstrings.com/microsoft-ole-db-provider-for-sql-server-sqloledb/ for example. If the tables exist in sql server, you can SELECT from Access and INSERT into SSvr using 2 different connections, 2 sql command objects. If you have trouble with the SQL (which is very possible, I have not done this with Access), create a dataset from the Access SELECT and use that as an intermediate step. If the tables do not exist yet, get the script for CREATE TABLE in Access or in SSMS, and execute that before doing the SELECT/INSERT operation.
Background: I have an .mdf database containing some numeric values that I need to change (specifically, scale and offset values for sensors). The database was created by a Visual Basic program that controls some lab equipment and stores pertinent data in the .mdf file. Please excuse my rudimentary knowledge of the topic; I'm a complete novice when it comes to SQL Server and VB.
After searching through many posts, I understand that to open the .mdf file, you must "attach" it in Microsoft Server Management Studio (I'm using that with SQL Server 2005), which I have successfully done.
Problem: It seems that this only allows me to view and modify the structure of the database, ie. tables, columns, data types etc., rather than the values of the database itself.
Is there a way to do this manually, like how you can edit the field data of .mdb files in MS Access? Again, sorry for my limited knowledge on the topic. I'll gladly provide extra details where needed.
You mention you want to use access. That can be done. Your database is up and running after attaching it.
In Access you can simply create an ODBC connection in access and use Access to edit/modify your data as much as you want. you can also create queries.
It is in the menu item "external data" [I'm guessing because I use a dutch version]. You select to create a "linked table", choose your server and you are done.
Right-click on the table you want to modify in SSMS and select "Edit Top 200 Rows".
If you have more than 200 rows to edit, you can connect to the SQL Server database with either Access or Excel.
Here are the instructions for Access:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/connect-an-access-project-to-a-microsoft-sql-server-database-adp-HP005274586.aspx
I am using WSS 3.0 and trying to restore a mdf. I attached the database in SQL Management Studio, created a new web application, and associated the database to it. When I go into Central Administration-> Application Management -> Content Databases I see the WSS_Content and it says Sites: 2. One of the sites looks more similar to the other. I was able to log into the Sharepoint web app that has the db attached to it, and while it gives me the basic structure of the backed up site, the content of lists is blank, that was the data I was really after (Announcements, tasks, etc exist as lists but are empty). How do I get access to this?
Kindly remove your old database and make newly added database as a default/only database for your webapplication
I'd link to the the data from SQL Server into an Access database.. and then use MS Access to write these values back into sharepoint.
I've written a LOT of data to sharepoint using MS Access.. and I love the functionality.
the data is in SQL server.. but it's got different guids, or it's not wired up from what I'd assume.
You have the data posted to the SQL Server instance.. I'd just link to it in MS Access, write a couple of queries.. recreate a couple of lists.. and then push it from queries based on Access linked tables (to sql server).. and then jam it into Access linked tables (to sharepoint).
Open Access. right-click link basically. times two. and write a couple of queries.
If it was me, and it was just a couple of lists, I'd do this in a couple of minutes I swear.
I have a SQL Server 2008 DB. I want to extract SOME tables (and associated schema, constraints, indexes, etc) and create a SQL Server Express DB. It isn't a sync of the target, we stomp on it.
We ONLY need to do this in the file system (not across the wire). We are not fond of the synchronization stuff and at this point don't know how to run SSIS. We are a C# shop and a little code is ok. Like using the C# bulk import stuff, but that won't create the schema.
Suggestions?
My suggestion:
Back up the database
Restore under new name and file
Detach restored database from SQL Server
You now have a standalone file that you could use with SQL Server Express.
We use a tool from Red-Gate called SQL Compare to generate schema-complete SQL scripts. It's about $400, but well worth it. You pick the objects you want (users, tables, views, functions - whatever) you want, and it will generate a SQL Script to re-create them in your new database. Essentially, it's the same as Right-Click -> "Script To... New Window" in SSMS, but all at once, and it has a number of other features your shop might find useful as well.
As Scott pointed out (I couldn't figure out how to comment on his post), you can do a backup and restore, detach and attach from one server version to another assuming that the database is less than 4GB.
I have been developing in VB.NET and SQL Server 2008 for a while now, but haven't got into live installs yet. In the database system I used be on it had the ability to archive multiple tables into a .dga file, as it was called. I could then restore the .dga file into another database or on another server.
I'm looking for the easiest way to accomplish something similar in SQL Server.
If you want to transfer specific tables, then using Data Transformation Services (right click on the database in SQL Server Management studio and select "Import Data" and it will bring the dialog up for it). Of course, this assumes that you have both databases available to you.
If you are comfortable with replacing the database as a whole, you can easily backup the database and then restore it into a new one through SQL Server Management studio (or through calling the appropriate SP).
I would go for one of the following :
From MS SQL Management Studio, right click on the database / Tasks / Generate scripts
From Visual Studio, in the Server Explorer tab, "publish to provider"
Both will launch a wizard allowing you to export the tables you want the way you want (including data or not, creation scripts or not, etc etc.)
If you want to move tabless without data, the simpliest thing is to script the tables you want and run the script.
We script all our db changes and commit them to subversion and then run them as part of the deplyment process.
If you want to put the whole database on prod including data (scrub out test records first!), then do a backup and restore onthe other server.
For future changes, wescript all our db changes and commit them to subversion and then run them as part of the deployment process. There also are tools that look at the structural differnces bewteen the two servers and creates scripts. REd-Gate's SQL Compare is really good for this.
In addition to HLGEM's suggestions, you can look into SSIS if this is an ongoing process.