Re: Switching alarm system - can I convert my database?

[Pat Coghlan <news@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Roland More wrote:
> There is no EULA that would stop you from keeping your own data.
> Do you know what database engine your new system as well as your old system
> uses? Hopefully it is not Borland, the king of data corruption in my
> opinion. Even without using the data front end of the access application
> itself, the data tables can generally be accessed. However, sometimes the
> alarm points are dealt with by a third party add on software overlay.
> You have not mentioned any badging yet so I don't know if that is a concern
> too. If you wish to save yourself the time and trouble of repunching all the
> data, you will have to create a table from the data in the old system that
> matches the table format the new system uses. Generally those tables have to
> match exactly in all aspects (text and text length, dates and date formats,
> on and on). If you have not used been trained on databases this can be a
> tough assignment. If you mention the brand of the old and new systems the
> techniques for doing it could be more easily explained.

Old DB: SQL
New DB: SQL

The conversion could pretty much be operated, but this would require
tools if we want to clone existing cardholder and zone information and
insert into the new system.

Although the "data" belongs to us, it might be hard to extract (short of
cutting/pasting) without infringing on the EULA.  The practice is known
as vendor "lock-in", e.g. software systems which manage patient medical
data.  If the company/doctor stops paying the fees, the data remains
inaccessible.