How to make a test database from AS400

Question

For SQL Server, we are able to send over the db for the most part pretty easily to offshore staff.

Is this possible with the AS/400 or they can only VPN in to work?

Answer 1

Every database engine has a slightly different version of SQL. DB2 for i at V5R4 has differences to DB2 LUW 9.7 and both are different to SQL Server and MySQL at any version. So the quick answer is no, you can't simply make a copy of a DB2 for i database and run it on MySQL or SQL Server. You'd normally do exactly as you are doing with SQL Server: Have one machine here and another machine there and unload/reload the data as needed.

Having said that, the differences between SQL dialects are not usually crippling. Use the IBM Navigator for i and extract all of the DDL for the IBM database, then try to execute the DDL on the SQL Server machine. You'll have some syntax problems, but you should be able to work them out with someone who is knowledgeable in both dialects. Keep track of the changes to the DDL because you'll need them in order to extract the data from the IBM side.

Once you have the empty database created on the new machine, it's time to extract out the data. Write some CL programs to do CPYTOIMPF to generate CSV files or flat files or whatever it is that SQL Server wants in order to import properly. Then FTP that data to the new machine and write some scripts to do the import.

As you can tell, this is not going to be a simple process and it will take some time to develop and debug. I'd go with having the offshore staff using a VPN to the local IBM machine.

Answer 2

The easiest way I can think of would be to create a Save File (SAVF) then FTP that save file to the other IBM i and [restore it] (http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v6r1m0/index.jsp?topic=/cl/rstobj.htm).

In the PC world this is similar to zipping up a directory, FTPing it to another machine and then unzipping it.

If this isn't what you mean, can you elaborate on what you're wanting?

Answer 3

The offshore site probably has their own SQL Server, probably running the same version as you.

But unless they also have an IBM Power System running the same release of IBM i, then they will most likely need to access your system.