How to Refresh your Test Database

Sage 300 allows you to create a second company to use for testing and training purposes. This guide shows you how to get a copy of your production database and load it into the test company. It assumes:

• the test company database already exists
• the logged-in user has security access in Administrative Services to the Database Dump and Database Load screens.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

1. Run these steps while logged in to your production company. Sage 300 won't let you over-write an active database and if it's open, you can't accidentally replace your production system.
2. Try to run these steps out of hours when the load on your systems is lowest.

Step 1 - Database Dump

In Sage 300, open the Administrative Services folder and then the Database Dump screen. Make the following selections:

• Database:  select your production (live) company from the list
• Dataset Directory:  this is the file path where the Sage 300 files will be stored.  
  Use Browse to navigate your network.
  Note: Sage 300 "remembers" the directory you last used. You can manually write in a new folder (...\XXX) and it will be created by the database dump routine.
• Description: a brief explanation of the reason for the database dump. This is optional.

Select DUMP.

Sage 300 warns that any existing files will be deleted - this means any existing files in the backup directory you just specified and for this database will be over-written.

You'll see the database dump routine working alphabetically through all the modules and data tables in your database, and when complete you'll get a message confirming "operation complete".

Step 2 - Database Load

In Sage 300 (stay in the production database), open the Administrative Services folder and then the Database Load screen. Make the following selections:

• Database:  select the test company from the list
• Datasets Directory:  will show the file path from the most recent Database Dump activity, so you shouldn't need to change this. Use Browse if necessary.
• Dataset: will show a listing of all the backups in the file directory, including the description you entered in step 1.

Select LOAD

You can expect to see a message "emptying database" and the load routine works alphabetically through all the modules and data tables.  The load usually takes a bit longer than the dump sequence, and when finished you'll get a message confirming "operation complete".

Step 3 - Update the Company Name

It's not critical to the process, but we suggest that you now log in to the test company and change the company name so that there can be no confusion for system users.  

Open the Common Services folder and the Company Profile screen and edit the field Doing Business As.  You could put "TEST" in front of the name and perhaps the month & year behind it, so you know when the data was last refreshed.

If you need any support or assistance with these processes, just just log a new ticket and we'll be in touch.

The OpusXenta Team