Reverse Migration: SQL Server ==> Jet, Capturing Relationships?

[PeteCresswell]

I've got a situation where I may be charged with ad-hoc reporting
against a SQL Server DB.

Do do that, I need to know how about a half-dozen tables relate to
each other. It's gonna throw me a .PDF of the DB's relationships
diagram and say "Figure it out". Problem is that said diagram is
about 250 8.5x11 pages and, to me, that means 2-3 hours of cutting/
aligning/taping to get a picture.

There are less than a half-dozen tables I'm unsure of. I know their
names and my suspicion is that if I could capture the SQL Server's
tables and relationships into a JET DB, I could dope it out a lot
faster.

Assuming that relationships are not implemented via triggers, is there
any hope here?

 

[Stefan Hoffmann]

hi Pete,

Assuming that relationships are not implemented via triggers, is there
any hope here?

You can create database diagrams in SQL Server, too. I'd prefer in such
cases RedGate's Dependency Tracker:

http://www.red-gate.com/products/SQL_Dependency_Tracker/index.htm

You may also use Visio to revers engineer the database.

mfG
--> stefan <--

 

[Paul Shapiro]

As long as it's SQL Server 2005 or 2008, look up the system catalog views.
All metadata, like relationships, should be retrievable via sql statements
as data. For earlier SQL Server versions there is probably another approach
to get the same info, but I don't know where to look.