Data migration, or data replication, is, as
you might expect, the least complex scenario. That doesn’t mean that it
is any less significant, or easier to perform correctly than the other
scenarios. In fact, it is common to perform a migration multiple times
as part of the overall validation process.
In this section, we review how to perform a migration using the Scribe toolset.
1. Scribe Workbench
The Scribe Workbench (shown in Figure 1)
is the main Scribe tool for managing migrations. The Scribe Workbench
enables users to define both source and target data sets. Either or
both of these may be a specific application (such as Microsoft Dynamics
CRM, Microsoft
Dynamics NAV, Salesforce, or other applications) or may be a more
generic data set (such as SQL Server, XML, ODBC, and others).
After
defining both a source and a target, users can relate the two systems
together using a linking/mapping window. Linked fields can incorporate
formulas (custom formulas and 180+ functions that ship with the
product) to calculate or transform data in the mapping window, too.
Choosing the source and target, linking fields, and creating formulas all combine to create what is referred to as an integration definition. Users can choose to run the integration manually through mouse clicks in the Scribe Workbench.
Other
options are also configured in the Scribe Workbench and are considered
part of this integration definition, including the following:
Source and Target Definitions
As
part of the definition of an integration, users define both source and
target data. When possible, using one of the Scribe application
adapters is the best option because each adapter is built to work with
its respective application and is optimized based on that application’s
API. However, connecting to data via generic connection types (such as
ODBC, XML, and others) is also supported.
Adapters
also act as a layer of indirection between your integrations and the
application. Scribe adapters keep a consistent development interface
that will insulate the integration creator from changes in the
applicable system. The differences between Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0
and 4.0 provide a good example of this. Although the technical
differences between these two releases are significant, the Scribe
adapter for Microsoft Dynamics CRM looks and acts essentially the same
for both versions. For Scribe integrations, upgrading to Microsoft
Dynamics CRM 4.0 is as easy as upgrading the Scribe adapter.
Source Configuration
Defining
the source data begins with choosing how to connect to the data (using
an application adapter, ODBC, or XML). After you choose the connection
parameters, a series of prompts helps you define the query set for the
source data. This can be a single “object” or can be a custom query
joining multiple objects together.
When
you join multiple objects, the syntax is much like SQL. You can define
calculated values in the Scribe Workbench (referred to as variables)
that filter on a static or dynamic values.
Figure 2 shows the Source Connection Wizard that prompts for the source connection method.
