The DMS External Database Link enables you to connect DMS to an external database of either SQL Server or Oracle.  The purpose of connecting to an external database is to import information into DMS from an external database and to enable DMS to lookup information in an external database for display purposes.

In order to use External Database Link you need to define the database connection string to the database you wish to communicate with.  Once the connection string has been defined and saved in DMS, you write the SQL to perform the import tasks.  Any number of SQL procedures can be written for a connection string.  You can also define more than one connection string if you want to connect to several different databases or have different usernames and passwords required for access to the databases.

Once the SQL procedures have been defined, users that have been given permission can execute the SQL procedures and perform the tasks as required.

In order to import via SQL, perform the following steps:

1. Define the database connection strings
2. Define the job import SQL scripts.  For hints and tips on the SQL scripts, see Hints and Tips Writing SQL Scripts.  Also, see the SQL Import Columns Required for details on what columns are required for the importing.
3. To execute a defined SQL import script, see Job Import via SQL

In order to import job updates via SQL where times and quantities completed are reported for a job, perform the following steps:

1. Define the database connection strings
2. Define the job updates SQL scripts.  For job updates information required, see the SQL Job Updates Columns Required.
3. To execute a defined job updates script, see Job Updates via SQL.