Is there a way to get a data dump from Ektron

Question

I need a way to get all of the data out of an Ektron site in any format, that I can use to import it into a new CMS. To my eyes the database is completely obfuscated and I'm not finding any good resources. I would be happy for links, tips, videos, angels, magic lamps or companies that will do it on the cheep. Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I do Ektron migrations of this nature regularly for my company and the problem with such migrations is that there really is no "standard". Every site has it's data structured quite differently and this will be especially true of ektron sites that rely on smartforms, or ones that have complex metadata or taxonomy relationships. Your best bet will probably be to write a custom export tool to get your data into a format your target CMS can handle. If you are moving into another .net CMS, you might be well served by utilizing the ektron SOAP web services.

Answer 2

Two things that come to mind:

1. Perform database Backup (and Restore): "Backup" the Ektron database you are using and "Restore" it where you need it to go. Both of these actions can be performed using SQL Server Management Studio with access to the filesystem on your database server. This will restore ALL data EXACTLY as it was when backed up. This is straight forward, but not flexible and I feel like this isn't what you're looking for. If you want to treat "Ektron" like it's just any other database, then researching a more generic SQL Server Database "Dump" may be useful.

2. Perform content Export (and Import): Ektron provides a content export feature. This can be found in the Workarea under [Settings] > [Localization]. The purpose behind the export is to translate/localize content into another language and then import it back into the CMS, but... You aren't looking to localize your content as far as I can tell, but this export feature may still be of interest to you for whatever purpose you have in mind.