Please help: how to convert database to unicode?

I already posted this question some time ago but I didn't get any answer, so please forgive for posting it again.

We plan to support Unicode in our next software version. This means that we will need to upgrade many (> 200) databases from our customers from single byte collation to Unicode. Is there an easy way to do this with SQL Server?

With Oracle we can dump the current database, create a new instance that supports Unicode and then import the dump and all char fields get automatically converted to unicode.

As I see it, it doesn't seem to be so easy with SQL Server. At the moment my solution would be to create a new database schema with all the columns changed to the N types (nvarchar, ntext, ...) and then use a DTS Package to transfer the "old" data to the new database. This seems like a lot of work, so that I would like to know if someone has a better idea.

Thank you in advance for your ideas!!

Raul

Im not sure but try changing the collation type. It should change the underlying data to the new collation type.. jst a thought.

with smiles

santhosh

|||Raul

If you are merely changing columns from CHAR to NCHAR and VARCHAR to NVARCHAR, you should be able to just perform ALTER TABLE ALTER COLUMN statements to change the columns to unicode.

CREATE TABLE dbo.UTest
( C CHAR(10) NOT NULL,
VC VARCHAR(10) NOT NULL
)
GO
INSERT INTO dbo.UTest(C, VC) VALUES ('Test', 'Test')
GO
ALTER TABLE dbo.UTest
ALTER COLUMN C NCHAR(10) NOT NULL
GO
ALTER TABLE dbo.UTest
ALTER COLUMN VC NVARCHAR(10) NOT NULL
GO
SELECT * FROM dbo.UTest

Please help! Report Builder model from UDM?

This is my second posting. Please help!
Hello,
I have created a cube in Analysis Services and made many business logic
changes in the Data Source View and dimensions. Can I use this to build
a model for the Report builder? I believe they call this UDM? People will
create ad-hoc reports in report builder.
I know I can use the UDM to create reports in VS.
Thank youto generate a report builder model based on an Analysis Database.
Simply go on the reports web site (http://localhost/reports)
create a new connection to your AS server
click "generate model"
and you have a model based on your OLAP cubes.
Also,
you can create your own model based on the DSV, this model will execute SQL
statements against your source database instead of using the AS server and
MDX statements.
but you have some manual work to do to insure that the model works fine for
your needs. in another hand you have a better control of what you'll display
to the end users (by playing with detailed property)
"ystueker" <ystueker@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:7E96DAE4-F823-4160-A7C1-C8D45772EE6B@.microsoft.com...
> This is my second posting. Please help!
> Hello,
> I have created a cube in Analysis Services and made many business logic
> changes in the Data Source View and dimensions. Can I use this to build
> a model for the Report builder? I believe they call this UDM? People will
> create ad-hoc reports in report builder.
> I know I can use the UDM to create reports in VS.
> Thank you
>|||Thank you. I have tried that but my option for generate model is grayed out'
"Jéjé" wrote:
> to generate a report builder model based on an Analysis Database.
> Simply go on the reports web site (http://localhost/reports)
> create a new connection to your AS server
> click "generate model"
> and you have a model based on your OLAP cubes.
> Also,
> you can create your own model based on the DSV, this model will execute SQL
> statements against your source database instead of using the AS server and
> MDX statements.
> but you have some manual work to do to insure that the model works fine for
> your needs. in another hand you have a better control of what you'll display
> to the end users (by playing with detailed property)
> "ystueker" <ystueker@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:7E96DAE4-F823-4160-A7C1-C8D45772EE6B@.microsoft.com...
> > This is my second posting. Please help!
> >
> > Hello,
> > I have created a cube in Analysis Services and made many business logic
> > changes in the Data Source View and dimensions. Can I use this to build
> > a model for the Report builder? I believe they call this UDM? People will
> > create ad-hoc reports in report builder.
> >
> > I know I can use the UDM to create reports in VS.
> >
> > Thank you
> >
>
>|||mmm...
you have the same option using the management interface (windows management
application, not web based)
what is your connection string to access your AS server? the one is grayed.
"ystueker" <ystueker@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4FB35270-504A-41A3-91D0-469A4014018C@.microsoft.com...
> Thank you. I have tried that but my option for generate model is grayed
> out'
> "Jéjé" wrote:
>> to generate a report builder model based on an Analysis Database.
>> Simply go on the reports web site (http://localhost/reports)
>> create a new connection to your AS server
>> click "generate model"
>> and you have a model based on your OLAP cubes.
>> Also,
>> you can create your own model based on the DSV, this model will execute
>> SQL
>> statements against your source database instead of using the AS server
>> and
>> MDX statements.
>> but you have some manual work to do to insure that the model works fine
>> for
>> your needs. in another hand you have a better control of what you'll
>> display
>> to the end users (by playing with detailed property)
>> "ystueker" <ystueker@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:7E96DAE4-F823-4160-A7C1-C8D45772EE6B@.microsoft.com...
>> > This is my second posting. Please help!
>> >
>> > Hello,
>> > I have created a cube in Analysis Services and made many business logic
>> > changes in the Data Source View and dimensions. Can I use this to build
>> > a model for the Report builder? I believe they call this UDM? People
>> > will
>> > create ad-hoc reports in report builder.
>> >
>> > I know I can use the UDM to create reports in VS.
>> >
>> > Thank you
>> >
>>