irateplatypus

i've recently been coralled into helping the cause of a poor outdated database server. it's running an old version of red-hat, the db software is mysql. the hard drive is failing, removable storage is limited to a busted tape-backup drive (which is to say, no removable storage available). i've been asked to rescue this poor mysql database off this server and place it on the network.

my goal/plan: grab the db off the server remotely (using a winxp workstation) and set up an access db or an excel spreadsheet to display the data. users accessing this data in the future will be unskilled, so i need a no-brainer solution.

i've been trying to use the ODBC hooks to do the import using the "import external data" functions of excel & access (installed myODBC and everything), but can't get my windows box to access the linux machine, even though i can ping and connect by http (it was a crude webserver in a former life).

questions to the TFP database gods:

1. am i going about this the right way, or is there a better solution?

2. if i am taking a good approach, what am i missing as far as getting my MS Office software to link with the MySQL server?

I've exhausted all the relevant google searches, MSDN, and dev.mysql resources i can find... getting a bit frustrated. i'm very used to solving all my problems much quicker than this.

Hope I've provided enough info to spark some thoughts. Post or PM me with any suggestions.

thanks to anyone who gives this a moment's thought.

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bendsley

Does the machine happen to be running phpmyadmin? If so, you can export the database to a text file or whathave you.

The first step is to dump out the contents of the database running on the old server. You can do this by using the "mysqldump" command on the old server. This command will create all the sql necessary to recreate all the tables in your database, and is called a "dump". A dump can either be printed to your screen, or if there is a lot of data, the dump can be directed into to a file.

To dump your database from the old host, get a shell prompt there with telnet or ssh, and then type this all on 1 single line:

mysqldump -u DBUSER -p DBNAME > DBNAME.sql

substituting DBUSER with your MySQL username at the old host and DBNAME with your database name from the old host.

You will be prompted for your old host's MySQL password, which will not echo back at you as you type. After you provide the right password, you will have a file in your current directory called DBNAME.sql containing your entire database.


To put a MySQL database into Excel, you might try the program from the link I listed below. I don't know anything about this software, as I just found it via Google.

http://www.downloadjunction.com/prod...662/index.html

You might also look at this software too, it may seem a bit more promising.

http://www.sqlmanager.net/en/products/mysql/dataexport

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trache

For the ODBC, make sure the port is correct (MySQL normally uses 3306), that MySQL allows incoming TCP/IP connections, and that the user in question has access to connect and use the database you need.

You should be able to telnet to port 3306 and get some kind of response, even if it is just a blank screen.

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