Database Integration/Merging

Posted by Admin on 01-Feb-2008 02:59

Please tell me how to integrate/merge/consolidate two, more or less similar Progress Databases(eB2.0) into a single Database.

All Replies

Posted by Thomas Mercer-Hursh on 01-Feb-2008 11:19

There really is no single answer to this and it is hard to even give advice unless you give us more specifics.

Do I take it that they have similar, but not identical schemas? If so, one step is to create and incremental .df and figure out a superset schema and to migrate both databases to that new schema.

Does the schema include a company or entity breakdown and are the two databases different entities so that merged data would not collide or are there likely to be collisions?

More info is needed before we can have clue what to suggest.

Posted by Admin on 06-Feb-2008 04:38

Thanks Thomas for your response of my DB merge query!!

Work Environment: Mfg/Pro eB2 Application & Progress 9.1D

Actually they are similar databases of two different physical sites/locations of a single organisation. So their DBs are similar.

Through R&D I'v come to conclusion that using Mfg/Pro eB2.1's "DOMAIN" feature would be best thing to do to merge these databases.

Now I want to know about:

What are the sequence of Steps to be taken (in summary) to achieve that. (I didnt find any white paper/document)

I mean.. Would it be like that:

1) Migration of Source_DB_1(eB2) based Mfg/Pro application to eB2.1

2) Migration of Source_DB_2(eB2) based Mfg/Pro application to eB2.1 seperately.

3) Then creating new Domain in either of the setup made in steps 1 and 2.

4) Then attaching the DB to that.

Or may be something else. Please correct me.

Please suggest me and give sequence of steps to perform this activity.

Posted by Thomas Mercer-Hursh on 06-Feb-2008 11:08

Didn't you get a pretty good discussion of this on the PEG? From that, it sounds like your best bet is moving to the newer version with the entity separation.

Posted by Admin on 08-Feb-2008 03:11

Yes I had discssion on PEG. But no one straightaway replies about the steps.

My query still remains that I want one single physical Database in eB2.1 that includes 2 similar DBs of eB2.

Well, look like no one on this earth has the answer to my query!!

Posted by ChUIMonster on 08-Feb-2008 10:50

You seem to be wanting a silver bullet.

There isn't one. The process for doing what you want is not something that can be squeezed into a posting in an on-line forum. To pretend otherwise would be a dis-service to you and anyone else who might read it.

QAD is a large, complex product. You would be well advised to work with QAD and/or an experienced consultant to get this done.

Posted by Thomas Mercer-Hursh on 08-Feb-2008 11:16

Reinforcing Tom's response .... I would have thought that the PEG discussion covered the issues. If you move tot the later release, then the entity field will keep the two sets of data separate without conflicts within a single database. I don't know MFGPro specifically, but this same concept has existed in my own software for 20 years and makes it quite straightforward to merge the data from multiple companies into a single database, although even then you need to think carefully if not every table has the breakdown.

Without that separation, there just isn't a simple formula. Among other things, a lot will depend on the specifics of the data. Do they have overlapping products? Overlapping customers, Overlapping vendors? Etc. Each table will have to be analyzed and programs written to do the merge based on what data is there. In some cases, if there are no overlaps, you may be able to just combine the data, but anywhere there are overlaps or summaries, you are going to have to proceed very carefully.

This is one where you want expert guidance and it is going to have to be hands on and very concrete or it will be meaningless.

Posted by Admin on 10-Feb-2008 22:06

Thanks Tom.. Thanks Thomas.. for your valuable suggestions!!

This thread is closed