June 25, 1999

Microsoft Office Server Extensions (OSE) allow you to publish Microsoft Office documents on a Web server and keep track of changes to those documents in a database. But what happens when you want to reset your Web server? How do you preserve the data in the database?

Better yet, when users in your organization begin to take full advantage of OSE collaboration features, you might need to a larger Web server with dedicated storage space for the information. In this scenario, you need to be able to export the collaboration database - lock, stock, and barrel.

Install new OSE commands

With those needs in mind, two new commands have been added to the OSE Administration Database Settings page. These two commands allow you to back up and restore the OSE collaboration database:

• Export Office Database
• Import Office Database

Toolbox   The Office Resource Kit includes the new Office Server Extensions commands. These are available as a download in the Migrate.msi file in the Office Server Extensions Migration Utility section of the download page. You can find this downloadable file on the Office 2000 Resource Kit Downloads page.

Export and import your database

If you want to reset or upgrade your Web server, you can export the database, upgrade your computer, and then import the database again, without losing any data. Or, if you find you need more space for the database, you can export the database and then import it to a new Web server.

Note   To export or import an OSE database, you must use the Database Settings page on the virtual server that you want to archive.

Use the Export Office Database command to create an archive file of your collaboration database.

To export an OSE database

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Office Server Extensions, and then click OSE Administrator (HTML).
2. Click Database Settings.
3. Click Export Office Database.

   Make a note of the path and name of the archive file that you are creating.

4. Click Submit.

After you export the database, use the Import Office Database command to restore it to the same computer, or to move the database to a new computer.

To import an OSE database

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Office Server Extensions, and then click OSE Administrator (HTML).
2. Click Database Settings.
3. Click Import Office Database.
4. In the Select a file to import box, select the archive file that you exported.
5. To overwrite an existing database with an archive database, or to move a database to a new computer with a different directory structure, click Submit.

   - or –

   To move a database to a new computer with the same directory structure, select the Update Web Server Name check box, type the name of the old Web server in the Web Server Name box, and then click Submit.

Note   When you move a database to a computer with a different directory structure, paths in your database might be broken.