How to Setup VS Studio 2005 for Import and Export to SQL Server 2005 Express as performed in

Greetings all,

I have just been getting used to the new VS.NET 2005 IDE environment, IT ROCKS!. And this integrated help is pretty useful when we can all collaborate on the many technical topics we all share.

After reading many post blasting Microsoft for NOT including the DTS Import/Export functionality to SQL Server 2005 Express, and many people just threatening to go back to only use SQL Server 2000. I decided to look into this.

And found an actually simple way to do this.

The new Microsoft IDE in VS.NET 2005 includes the ability to define custom tools to be accessible in the Main Tools Menu.

Follow these steps:

1. Click Tools Menu (in VS.NET 2005 IDE)
2. Click External Tools
3. Define name for menu item in the Title text box
4. Define full path and name of executable in the Command text box
5. Define parameters to pass in the Arguments text box

You can launch any external application here, and a Menu Item is created. You can also pass parameters to this, and this is how we can do some DTS stuff if you do have SQL Server 2000 installed on either your local system, or a system you can access from your computer.

There is a program that ships with SQL Server 2000 call DTSWIZ.EXE. This
is used from the SQL Server Enterprise Manager. (Note: Make sure you have sufficient access to this location)

To use this, first check out the parameters is expects.

1. Shell out to DOS
Click Start, Run, then type in cmd and hit [ENTER]

2. Navigate to location of SQL Server
\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Binn\dtswiz.exe

This program supports several parameters, you can launch this wizard in several ways.

example:

To start up DTS Import
dtswiz.exe /n /i

To start up DTS Export
dtswiz.exe /n /x

Once you have this in place, then you want to Import Data. Simply choose
Import from the Tools menu (the External Tool item you created above)

1. In the Data Source drop down, select SQL Native Client.
2. Click Properties Button (lower left corner)
3. In the Data Source of this screen, put full path to SQL 2005 Express Database
4. Choose authentication
5. Choose Exit

Follow the remaining steps of the wizard for selecting which tables you wanted to import.

This has been thoroughly tested on the following:

Pentium 3 Two-Gigerhz Dual Processer
1 Gig Memory
Running Visual Studio 2005, SQL Server 2005 Express
and SQL Server 2000 located on a different Server computer.

I've simply created a Mapped Network drive to the
\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Binn
to have access to the tools.

Hopefully others can use this activating IMPORT and EXPORT functionality
so you can port some of your smaller SQL Server 2000 databases to a different data tier model.

I am starting to contribute here, hopefully others will get themself a Windows Password account if you don't have one already, and start sharing more material between ourselves.

?/"/"[ Dreams pull reality closer to use all ]"\"\"
Dim Mind as New Mind
If Mind.Thinking then
Mind.GetThought("VS.NET")
If Mind.Feelings = Feel.FreakingROCKS then
Call KeepThingsRockin
End If
End If
CodeDoctor

I can't get this to work on Vista. I get an error that DTS couldn't create an instance.|||

Am new to this. I have access to the DTS WIZ but cannot edit the saved package in SSE.

Going Mad!!!

Sudip