Exporting Selected Clients And Records

In this procedure, we will export selected clients from a CV11 database. This procedure exports the clients that you select and gives you the option of exporting subrecords and core database records as well. All data is converted to ASCII text files. The data can then be processed as you require. This process may be used to split a large database.

The steps for exporting your database are as follows:

• Prepare your database
  - Recalc your database and run a thorough maintenance.
  
  - Back up your database to a safe location.




• Shut down CV11 Server
  - Ensure that all users are out of CV11.
  
  - Shut down the CV11 Server.
  
  - Reboot your server to make sure all active users are disconnected.




• Export your database
  - Start up CV11 Server again.
  
  - Sign into Collect! in Exclusive mode.
  
  - Tag the Clients you wish to export.
  
  - Select Export Database from the File menu.
  
  - Answer the additional prompts as needed.

This procedure can take a long time depending on the size of your database. The best time to perform this operation is after hours, when exclusive access to your CV11 database is practical. If you are unsure of any part of the procedure, please do not proceed without getting help.

The steps for exporting your database are explained in detail in the remainder of this document.

Prepare Your Database

To prepare your database for exporting, a thorough maintenance and RECALC must be performed on your database before you export it. If you intend to upgrade into a new version of CV11, RECALC and export must be done on the same day that you intend to upgrade.

Although this procedure does not touch your original installation at all, it is advisable that you have backed up your existing database and have saved it to a secure location, as a precaution.

Please refer to Preparing To Upgrade Your Database for details.

Shut Down CV11 Server

Collect! cannot export your database while users have Collect! files opened. Before you export your database, you must ensure that all users are out of CV11. Then shut down the CV11 Server. Make sure that all active users are disconnected from your Server and then reboot the Server.

Export Your Database

This process may take several hours if you have a very large database. It is imperative that the process is allowed to complete without interruption. Please plan accordingly.

1. Start the CV11 Server. When your Server is up again, sign into Collect! in Exclusive mode and stop at the Main Menu.

2. Tag the Clients that you wish to export. You can do this through the Browse menu, Clients selection, using your spacebar to tag the records. Or you can use Edit Search Criteria on the Client list. When you have selected your clients, select Edit from the top menu bar and then select View Tags. All the clients you wish to export should be highlighted in blue.

3. Select File from the top menu bar and then select Import/Export from the drop-down choices. Another submenu will display. Select Export Database.

A message will appear asking if you want to export subrecords as well. This means the Debtors belonging to the Clients and all the Debtors' contacts, transactions and other related records.

4. You will be prompted to include other core database records in your export. These are reports, import maps, contact plans, transaction types and debtor status codes.

You will probably want to say YES to this if you are importing your records into a new database.

5. After you have replied to the prompts confirming the parts of your database that you want to export, Collect! asks if you are ready to proceed with the export.

Select YES and Collect! will begin the export.

6. As the export proceeds, the screen displays information about the files that Collect! is creating for each part of the database.

Please allow this process to complete without interruption.

7. When the export is completed, there is now an export subfolder in your MASTERDB folder. This folder contains many ASCII text files, one for each type of date that was exported, and an import map.

You can now use the exported files to import into a new Collect! database. Please refer to Help topic, Creating a New Database, for details.

Summary

This document walked you through exporting selected clients and related records from your properly prepared database to a set of ASCII text files. All the information you exported is contained in the files that you see in the export folder.

If you are splitting a large Collect! database, you can perform these steps several times with different Clients selected. Each export can be imported into its own new Collect! database.

See Also

- Database Topics