Configuring an ODBC replicator to include a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet

This sample application shows how to use a Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet as a data source for estos MetaDirectory. The sample database can be found in the estos MetaDirectory installation directory in the Samples folder.

Under Microsoft Windows you must start the estos MetaDirectory administrator for the configuration of an ODBC system data source with extended rights. To do this, select the entry "Run as administrator" in the context menu that opens when you right-click on the application icon.

Setting up estos MetaDirectory to use a Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet

• Start the estos MetaDirectory Administrator on the computer where the server was also installed.
• Authenticate yourself on the server with the user data that you specified during installation.
• Go to the Configuration / General / Replicators view.
• Use the context menu or Add... to start the Replicator Wizard to configure a data source.
• Select the data type "ODCB database" and confirm the selection with Next.
• In the user login, you specify how to access the data source. You can access from the context of the current user as well as from the system account. In this example, we are using a SYSTEM account. For more information on this topic, see here.
  Confirm the selection using the Next button.
• In the following step, the ODBC connection to the Excel spreadsheet is configured.
  
  • With Browse the ODBC configuration wizard provided by the system opens.
  • Go to the Computer Data Sources tab page.
  • A new computer data source will be created from the New button.
  • Important: In the following dialog, select "System data source" so that the data can be opened via the previously selected system account.
    Confirm the selection using the Next button.
  • Select the ODBC driver for accessing Excel tables. Possibly different drivers in different languages are offered here. Use one of the offered Microsoft Excel drivers (*.xls).
    Confirm the selection using the Next button and conclude the configuration of the ODBC driver using the Done button.
  • Enter a name for the selected driver.
    The configuration of the computer data source will be concluded using the OK button.
  • Select the computer data source just setup from the list of available data sources.
    Once you have confirmed the selection using the Ok button, a file selection dialog will open where you can select the Demo-Namensliste.xls Excel file in the Samples folders in the estos MetaDirectory installation directory.
    
  After you have configured the ODBC connection, you can make further settings in the Replicator Wizard. Confirm the settings you have just made with Next.
• In the Excel spreadsheet you will find several named areas. The named range that contains the data to be replicated is called "Address list". Confirm the selection with Next.
• In the following field mapping wizard it is determined which fields of the data source are copied to which target fields. Next to the sample Excel file you will find a saved field mapping. Load the field mapping Demo-Namensliste-xls.fxm using the button at the bottom left of the field mapping dialog. Confirm the settings with Next.
• Leave the settings in the country and regionlocation settings unchanged and confirm the dialog with Next.
• In the replication schedule, you can define the intervals and times for replicating the database.
  Make changes - if desired - otherwise leave the settings page with Next.
• Enter a replicator name. This name must be unique and cannot be changed afterwards.
  Configuration of the replicator will be concluded using the Done button.

Once the replication process has been concluded, you can let the replicator run from the replicators list from the context menu or by using the Start button.
You can view replication results in Database Search or Database View.