How to migrate from Microsoft
SQL Server to FileMaker 7/8
Note: Additional information is contained within the <database>_instructions.txt
file created during the file generation process. The <database>_instructions.txt
file contains the actual file names created by FmPro Migrator. This
document uses an example SQL Server database table named "example"
which is migrated to FileMaker. The files created for your database
will use the names of the database tables in your SQL Server and FileMaker
databases.
Note: FmPro Migrator for Windows requires that Perl be installed on
your Windows computer before generating scripts. ActivePerl may be downloaded
from www.activestate.com
(the MSI version of ActivePerl is generally recommended for most installations).
FmPro Migrator for MacOS X utilizes the version of Perl which was automatically
installed with your operating system. FmPro Migrator for MacOS X also
utilizes the Actual Technologies SQL Server ODBC Driver (www.actualtechnologies.com).
This ODBC driver should be installed before attempting to gather SQL
Server database information with FmPro Migrator.
1) Click the "Other" tab in FmPro Migrator,
and enter the SQL Server Database Name, Username and Password information.
(It is not necessary to enter a Port or Hostname for SQL Server, as
this info is specified within the ODBC DSN).
Note: If the SQL Server "sa" account is entered as the login
account, then information will be gathered for all tables within the
specified SQL Server database. Otherwise, if a different login account
is specified then information will only be gathered for the tables which
are owned by that particular login account.
2) On the FileMaker tab in FmPro Migrator, click the browse button to
select a destination directory for the table creation scripts which
will be created by FmPro Migrator.
3) Select "SQL Server" as the Source Database in FmPro Migrator.
4) Select FileMaker 7 or FileMaker 8 as the Destination Database.
5) Enter the name which will be used for the SQL Server ODBC DSN, or
use the default value: sqlserver_dsn.
6) Create an ODBC DSN for the SQL Server database. The name of this
ODBC DSN should match the ODBC DSN entered into the Source Database
ODBC DSN field within FmPro Migrator.
7) Click the Migrate button. FmPro Migrator will use the ODBC DSN, database
name and login information to connect to the SQL Server database and
generate FileMaker table creation SQL scripts. FmPro Migrator will display
a list of tables found in the SQL Server database within the Tables
field on the FileMaker tab. Error messages will be displayed if the
specified Database Name, Username, Password, or ODBC DSN are entered
incorrectly.
8) Create a new test database in FileMaker 7/8, or open an existing
database file.
9) Make sure that the ODBC/JDBC Sharing Companion is enabled for the
FileMaker 7/8 database. Your migrated SQL Server tables will be created
within this new database.
10) Enable the ODBC/JDBC Sharing Companion for this FileMaker database.
Your migrated SQL Server tables will be created within this new database.
11) Install the FileMaker 7/8 ODBC driver, then create an ODBC DSN for
the FileMaker 7/8 database. The installer for the FileMaker 7/8 ODBC
Driver for Windows is located within the ODBC Client Driver Installer
folder within the xDBC folder on the FileMaker installer CD. Please
see the www.fmpromigrator.com/support/fmpro_migrator/index.html Technical
Support page for additional details (including step by step screenshots)
regarding the ODBC driver installation process for MacOS
X and Windows.
12) Download and install the free FmPro
Worksheet utility for MacOS X or Windows from: www.fmpromigrator.com/downloads/demo_software/index.html#download_fmpro_worksheet
Enter the name of the previously created FileMaker 7/8 ODBC DSN, username,
and password within FmPro Worksheet. Make sure that the ODBC/JDBC Sharing
Companion is enabled for the FileMaker database. Note: The default "Admin"
account created for a new FileMaker 7/8 database is already configured
with ODBC/JDBC access privileges. If you use another account, insure
that ODBC/JDBC access privileges have been granted to the account.
13) Click the "Load SQL commands" button or select Open from
the FmPro Worksheet File menu, then select the example_create_table1.sql
SQL script. This SQL script will be loaded into the SQL Commands field
within FmPro Worksheet.
14) Click the "Execute SQL" button or select "Execute
SQL" from the FmPro Worksheet File menu in order to create the
new database table in the FileMaker 7/8 database. The SQL script will
run for a few seconds, then it will create the table. If the table is
created successfully, no info will be returned from the FileMaker 7/8
database in the FmPro Worksheet Results field. Errors will be displayed
in the Results field.
15) Create a new FileMaker layout for this new FileMaker database table.
It is only necessary to create a very simple layout containing all of
the fields within the table. This layout enables FileMaker to determine
which table you want to use for importing the data in the next step.
16) Import the data from the SQL Server database table into FileMaker
7/8 by using the Import Records feature. From within FileMaker 7/8,
select the menu item File -> Import Records -> ODBC Data Source
..., then select the ODBC DSN for the SQL Server database.
