Use an extract service to copy a set of related rows from one or more tables and save the rows to a file.
Use the New Service wizard to create an extract service and the Extract Service Editor to define parameters for processing such the metadata to extract. The service includes an access definition that defines the data to extract.
The extract service specifies the set of parameters needed to extract data and object definitions from source tables and the file in which to store the extracted information. As a safeguard, you can limit the number of rows to be extracted in a service.
The extract service always extracts definitions for tables and columns. These definitions are used to create the destination tables, if necessary. You can also choose to extract other object definitions, including primary keys, relationships, and indexes.
The extract file contains the selected relationally intact data, the object definitions, or both. The extract file is stored locally on the client system or on a shared file server. After you create an extract file, you can use the file as often as needed to create new, or refresh existing, databases.
After you have extracted data and created an extract file, you can browse the contents of the file and ensure that the contents are as expected.
The access definition governs the overall extract process. An access definition specifies the tables, relationship traversal, and selection criteria for the data you want to extract. You can select a named access definition or create a new access definition for a single extract service.
The access definition enables you to do the following options: