I have a notes database with documents that the company is using for the last two years, and now we have a new version of the same database to allow a more global utilization. All the field names and form names are different in the new database but the users want me to have the old documents in the new database.
I don’t know what is the best way to get there. How to do the mapping? Should I use the import/export options, meaning that, export from the old database and import to the new one.
Should I copy the old forms to the new database and have the new docs been generated with the new forms.
The docs are going trought an approving process and we have documents in the old database that are not complete.
Subject: Transfer docs from one database to another
This conversation should have been had before the new design was started! (but of course, you know that). If you happen to be the designer, remember this next time you do a major system upgrade!
Now might be a good time to ask some questions of the system owners and designers.
How did the system designers plan to migrate old data to the new format?
Is there a requirement that old and new data co-exist? If not, then don’t migrate the data.
Does the old data actually map to the new design? Sometimes, the designs are so very different, you just have to take anything ‘in process’ and start over.
If you’re stuck doing the migration, the easiest way I’ve found is to just print out the old and new forms (in design mode) and physically map the fields. Once you know the mappings, you can use LS or Formula language and just move the data to the new format.
Don’t forget that there are probably new fields in the new design you’ll need to set. Figure out if they get some default value or if you can figure out what they should be from other fields on the forms.
The tricky part is if you have the same field name in the old and new designs but they’re acutally different fields. Make sure you set these values first before you start in on the other field.
Other suggestions:
Work on a copy of the db first. Once you’re sure you have things working, then make a copy of the production db in a safe place and update the production db. If there are problems, you still have the ‘old’ data.
Subject: Transfer docs from one database to another
One way…
write a lotusscript to get the info from the old form which locate the new form in 2nd database, if it exists, if nothing found, then create a new form and enter the information.