Convert old DB

[tvanstiphout]

> it is a server database, not anything that would create a single database file
Actually, that is not impossible. SQL Server uses 1 file for the entire database (OK, and a Log file, and you CAN use multiple files).

You would need a SQLBase or similar server installation, then try to mount this file.

 

[pdanes]

I'm currently not migrating any customer's data. You first have to get the db server, or tool, that can read that file so you can export the data to a csv text file.

Yeah, I know. That's what I'm trying to do, and is the reason for this entire thread. I thought maybe your customer is migrating his data, and if so, you might know what he is using.

 

[BlueSpruce]

That language part is correct. I am working in Prague, and the owner is a local person. But the Oracle bit seems off to me. Nobody involved in this is likely to have used such a sledgehammer, or even been able to afford it, especially as far back as this is claimed to have originated.

But if so, how would I extract it? Everything I know about Oracle, which is admittedly not much, is that it is a server database, not anything that would create a single database file the way Access and FoxPro do. I just now looked around for anything like an Oracle file convertor, and found nothing that looks helpful.

You managed to get some of the table descriptions, which is more than I have yet managed. There are remarks about table of vehicles, table of people in vehicle, table of accidents...

Yeah, I know. That's what I'm trying to do, and is the reason for this entire thread. I thought maybe your customer is migrating his data, and if so, you might know what he is using.

Try SQLBase since its a DBS filetype. There are other tools, such as SQL Anywhere which could also open it. Where are you planning to migrate the data to?

 

[pdanes]

> it is a server database, not anything that would create a single database file
Actually, that is not impossible. SQL Server uses 1 file for the entire database (OK, and a Log file, and you CAN use multiple files).

You would need a SQLBase or similar server installation, then try to mount this file.

I suppose, although the raw file is rather inaccessible to mere mortals. I work with SQL Server as a data source for Access, and I know of nothing that would just read data from the .mdf files that SQL Server works with. Maybe there is something - I just have never sen anything like that. I've always had to attach the .mdf file to a working instance of the engine to get anything from them.

I just found and tried something called DataGrip. Opens the file, but display mostly garbage.

 

[BlueSpruce]

I suppose, although the raw file is rather inaccessible to mere mortals. I work with SQL Server as a data source for Access, and I know of nothing that would just read data from the .mdf files that SQL Server works with. Maybe there is something - I just have never sen anything like that. I've always had to attach the .mdf file to a working instance of the engine to get anything from them.

I just found and tried something called DataGrip. Opens the file, but display mostly garbage.

Try SQLBase since its a DBS filetype. There are other tools, such as SQL Anywhere which could also open it. Where are you planning to migrate the data to?

 

[pdanes]

Try SQLBase since its a DBS filetype. There are other tools, such as SQL Anywhere which could also open it. Where are you planning to migrate the data to?

Gupta was mentioned as one of the possible architectures by the owner. I'm looking at their website, but see nothing like a file convertor. I can try writing them.

What I will do with it depends largely on what I find inside. If it's simple, I suppose just a flat file export. If it's more involved, I will try to convert it to Access, or maybe even SQL Server. The owner hasn't asked for anything specific so far, just wanted me to see if I could open it.

 

[BlueSpruce]

Gupta was mentioned as one of the possible architectures by the owner. I'm looking at their website, but see nothing like a file convertor. I can try writing them.

What I will do with it depends largely on what I find inside. If it's simple, I suppose just a flat file export. If it's more involved, I will try to convert it to Access, or maybe even SQL Server. The owner hasn't asked for anything specific so far, just wanted me to see if I could open it.

I think you will have to install SQLBase, Gupta, or the SQL Anywhere tool, to be able to mount that file and export the data. Search the web and see where you can get them, hopefully for free.

 

[Jason Lee Hayes]

IDA

This is not strictly about Access, but there are some very smart and experienced people here, so I'm going to take a shot.

Someone gave me an old database file, with a .DBS extension. Supposedly created either with something called Gupta SQLBase, or SyBase. I've been looking all over for convertors, ODBC drives and similar stuff, but haven't been able to open it. I will happily send it, if someone wants to take a look, but it's about 60 MB (9 MB zipped) - too big to attach here.

I've looked at it with a hex editor - no engine names that I recognize, but some headers, like SYSADM.SYS$INDEX0, SYSCOMMANDS, SYSROWIDLISTS, SYSVIEWS, SYSSYNONYMS and similar stuff.

None of my existing ODBC drivers are even willing to try it, and no convertor program I've tried so far has had any luck. Anybody have an idea, or want to try their luck

 

[Jason Lee Hayes]

Consider this:

Gupta SQLBase (English) | Full Convert

Gupta SQLBase database is fully supported by Full Convert. You can easily import data into Gupta SQLBase from more than 40 databases and export data from Gupta SQLBase to more than 30 databases.

www.fullconvert.com

Supports DBS files natively

Using a hex editor will be pretty useless - even with IDA Pro in the right hands which is the tool to have will only give you byte pattern mapping & system table markers……

 

[BlueSpruce]

The owner hasn't asked for anything specific so far, just wanted me to see if I could open it.

Does the owner still have access to the computer that was being used to maintain that data, or knows how to contact the person(s) that gave him the file, or he just had that file and nothing else available?

 

[pdanes]

Consider this:

Gupta SQLBase (English) | Full Convert

Gupta SQLBase database is fully supported by Full Convert. You can easily import data into Gupta SQLBase from more than 40 databases and export data from Gupta SQLBase to more than 30 databases.

www.fullconvert.com

Supports DBS files natively

Using a hex editor will be pretty useless - even with IDA Pro in the right hands which is the tool to have will only give you byte pattern mapping & system table markers……

Trying that, but no luck with it so far. All it says is 'Please download the trial again and reinstall.' Three times, same result.

 

[pdanes]

Does the owner still have access to the computer that was being used to maintain that data, or knows how to contact the person(s) that gave him the file, or he just had that file and nothing else available?

Haven't asked, I'll try in the morning, but the person who contacted me was pretty vague about the whole thing.

 

[pdanes]

Consider this:

Gupta SQLBase (English) | Full Convert

Gupta SQLBase database is fully supported by Full Convert. You can easily import data into Gupta SQLBase from more than 40 databases and export data from Gupta SQLBase to more than 30 databases.

www.fullconvert.com

Supports DBS files natively

Using a hex editor will be pretty useless - even with IDA Pro in the right hands which is the tool to have will only give you byte pattern mapping & system table markers……

Okay, I finally got Full Convert to install and run, but it does not seem to have any provision for reading a .DBS file. Most options lead to a page where it wants to connect to a server, and the few that don't haven't been able to get anywhere.

Two choices (dBase, FoxPro and SQLLite) let me get as far as selecting an output format, but then got stuck when I specified an new, empty Access database as the target, with the message "Could not connect to 'Access' database 'Database1.accdb' / Error: Unknown database format C:\...\Database1.accdb"

 

[tvanstiphout]

OpenText Gupta SQLBase

OpenText Gupta SQLBase est une base de données Web SMB fiable et performante, compatible avec les applications, qui se caractérise par une maintenance automatisée et un faible encombrement

www.opentext.com

Looks like you can get a free trial of that database engine. Install, and try to mount your file as a database.

 

[BlueSpruce]

Okay, I finally got Full Convert to install and run, but it does not seem to have any provision for reading a .DBS file. Most options lead to a page where it wants to connect to a server, and the few that don't haven't been able to get anywhere.

Two choices (dBase, FoxPro and SQLLite) let me get as far as selecting an output format, but then got stuck when I specified an new, empty Access database as the target, with the message "Could not connect to 'Access' database 'Database1.accdb' / Error: Unknown database format C:\...\Database1.accdb"

I think Access 2010, or was it 2013? can open dBase files? However, I strongly suspect its an SQLBase file. Hope you have luck with the owner.

 

[pdanes]

OpenText Gupta SQLBase

OpenText Gupta SQLBase est une base de données Web SMB fiable et performante, compatible avec les applications, qui se caractérise par une maintenance automatisée et un faible encombrement

www.opentext.com

Looks like you can get a free trial of that database engine. Install, and try to mount your file as a database.

Cool, thanks. Got it installed, not quite sure what to do with it now. It seems to be running as a service on my machine, but I don't know how to communicate with it. Tried SSMS, but no luck. I'm too tired to think straight, so I'll continue tomorrow.

 

[BlueSpruce]

Cool, thanks. Got it installed, not quite sure what to do with it now. It seems to be running as a service on my machine, but I don't know how to communicate with it. Tried SSMS, but no luck. I'm too tired to think straight, so I'll continue tomorrow.

You cant use SSMS for that. Like with anything new, read the documentation. If it's in French, then use translate, unless you know French? You have to find out if that engine can recognize your file. That OpenText Gupta hopefully includes utility tools for mounting, reading, repairing data files. Good Luck and Good Night!

 

[pdanes]

You cant use SSMS for that. Like with anything new, read the documentation. If it's in French, then use translate, unless you know French? You have to find out if that engine can recognize your file. That OpenText Gupta hopefully includes utility tools for mounting, reading, repairing data files. Good Luck and Good Night!

So I found out, but I figured it was worth a try. If it can communicate with one database engine, maybe it can do others as well. Turns out no, or at least not this engine.

I did find out a little bit more - it a database of vehicle accident descriptions from a police department. Has tables of people, vehicles and similar stuff. Don't know if it's only internal police wrecks or general population data. The cops refuse to provide any info about the person who used to work with it, which I suppose is understandable. But I asked if they would forward MY information to HIM, and ask him if would be willing to contact me on the matter. No answer yet.

The Gupta site does mentions some documentation, but like many such obnoxious sites, you have to create an account with them and use that every time you want to look at something on the site. And like all such sites, I use a fake name and disposable email address for the sign-up process, to keep from getting on endless mailing lists. All it does is waste my time filling in stupid boxes on their site with false information, and piss me of, making me like the company less than I would if they just had their documentation freely available.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Suddenly, something you described about this database trips a red flag for me. Are you sure that your old database that someone gave you was theirs to give?

In the USA, we have a variety of laws about databases because the relevant laws fall into states' rights issues. In Louisiana, breaking into someone else's database is a low-grade felony.

I'm NOT accusing anyone of anything because it sounded pretty innocent at first. However, getting into someone else's database - particularly if it contains personally identifiable information - could be considered a criminal act. And if this is a police criminal records database, the content almost certainly will have PII to consider. Therefore, before following through on breaking into the DB, verify the legality of what you are doing.

 

[Jason Lee Hayes]

Suddenly, something you described about this database trips a red flag for me. Are you sure that your old database that someone gave you was theirs to give?

In the USA, we have a variety of laws about databases because the relevant laws fall into states' rights issues. In Louisiana, breaking into someone else's database is a low-grade felony.

I'm NOT accusing anyone of anything because it sounded pretty innocent at first. However, getting into someone else's database - particularly if it contains personally identifiable information - could be considered a criminal act. And if this is a police criminal records database, the content almost certainly will have PII to consider. Therefore, before following through on breaking into the DB, verify the legality of what you are doing.

Yes; after reading through the posts i suddenly question the legality!