Transferring databases between computers

In large companies or those with regional offices, you might need to make Quanvert databases available on more than one computer; for example, on the main computer at head office and on other computers in various regional offices, or on the main computer and a number of PCs. Although you could flip the database on each computer in turn, it saves time if you flip it on one computer and then copy the whole database on to any other computers which require it.

There are three things to consider when transferring databases between computers:

▪A Quanvert database consists of many files, so copying it on to other computers can be time-consuming, especially if you have to deal with each file separately.

▪Depending on the size of the database and the medium you are using to make the transfer, you might or might not be able to transfer the database all in one go.

▪Although all computers can store the same type of information, they often do so in different ways. For example, an axis file on a UNIX system does not have the same format as the corresponding file on a PC.

Quanvert Text provides these programs to deal with these potential problems:

Program	Explanation
qvpack	Pack and optionally compress the database files into a single file prior to transmission.
qvtrans	Uncompress and unpack the database into separate files after transmission.
qsj	Split and join large packed files.
qvpk	Run qvpack and, if necessary, qsj.
qvtr	Run qsj, if necessary, and then qvtrans.

The equivalent programs for Windows-based Quanvert are called wqvpack and wqvtrans. Users can access these programs through the Quanvert File menu; these procedures are described in the Quanvert User’s Guide.

There are no programs for converting between different file formats or for copying the packed database between computers, because qvpack and qvtrans are able to deal with most file format conversions internally. File transfer programs are not provided since these are readily available from elsewhere. You can use any method of your choice for moving the database from one computer to another.