Question

Import large database into Excel

Asked by: ajacoa

How can I filter a large (15GB) tab-delimited database so it can be imported/analyzed in Excel 2007.
The database is a .txt file that originated in SQL server.  I can only import the first 1,000,000 rows into excel 2007.  I estimate the database is 50,000,000 rows.  Is there some way that I can filter the .txt database to only import certain rows (for example, only import a range of record numbers or a date range).  I also have MS Access 2007 (but am not very familiar with it).

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Asked On
2009-10-29 at 08:29:04ID24854950
Tags

Excel

,

SQL Server

Topic

Microsoft Access Database

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
10

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Answers

 

by: capricorn1Posted on 2009-10-29 at 08:33:24ID: 25694825

<Is there some way that I can filter the .txt database to only import certain rows (for example, only import a range of record numbers or a date range).>

with that large file, you have to do the filtering from the SQL server database.

 

by: boag2000Posted on 2009-10-29 at 23:24:25ID: 25700503

1. <a large (15GB) tab-delimited database>
If this is the case then had better pray that the "Filtered DB" ends up being less than 1.5GB.
:-O

This is because Access has a 2GB Database size limit.
(You can work around this by using linked tables, but that is another topic entirely)
;-)


I personally do not know of a way to judge how the DB size in SQL Server will translate into Access.
One thing I will recommend is that you skip the Excel portion of this system, and instead try importing the data to Access directly.
It will be extremely complex to spread your data among multiple Excel sheets.
:-O

Even though Access has a 2GB DB Limit, it has no real limit in the number of records in a table.
Excel's limit, as you have found, is about 1,000,000 (1 million) rows.
Access can typically handle 2 *Billion* (2,000,000,000) or more records.

;-)

JeffCoachman

 

by: boag2000Posted on 2009-10-29 at 23:26:23ID: 25700510

... In other words, I agree that capricorn1's approach is the best way to go...
(Filter in SQL Server, then import into Access)
;-)

JeffCoachman

 

by: ajacoaPosted on 2009-11-05 at 11:57:18ID: 25753263

Thank you both for your help.  We are wondering if we could someone handle this in the cloud.  Sort the information there and then bring it down in pieces.

 

by: boag2000Posted on 2009-11-05 at 13:06:22ID: 25754024

"The Cloud" can mean different things to different people.
There is always something tangible behind anything that can be known as being "In the cloud".
(A Sever, User, an Application, a resource, ...etc)
There is no service I know of that will do this for you in the "Cloud"
So you need to be a bit more specific.

How would the Cloud:
Know where your data was?
Access your data?
Determine what the parameters for filtering were?

Again, in your case, it would seem to me, that you would have to do the filtering in the SQL Server, then export this data as a text file to MS Access.
(For data of this magnitude, you want to skip using Excel.)

 

by: ajacoaPosted on 2009-11-05 at 20:00:53ID: 25756513

As you can probably guess I am a bit of a newbie to all the terminology. We are wondering if we can say use Amazon's S3 to store the database and then use a plug in for excel to do data mining and sort the information.  Or am I making no sense at all.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

by: boag2000Posted on 2009-11-05 at 20:35:31ID: 25756631

I don't know how Amazons service would work in your situation.
You would have to contact them.

My guess is that anything is possible

<use a plug in for excel to do data mining and sort the information. >
Dose such a plugin exist?
Does it do what you need.
If not, then we are back at square one.

Again, if the data is in your SQL Server then I don't see why you cant do this all "in-house"?
Why the need for "The Cloud"?

AFAICT, all you need to do is create your filter and sorting in SQL Server, (in a query or a view) then export this to a text file and import it into Access.

JeffCoachman

 

by: ajacoaPosted on 2009-11-06 at 07:38:31ID: 25759993

Thanks again Jeff.   We did not have sql server - but are now installing it.  Hopefully we will be able to work with the data as you suggest.

 

by: boag2000Posted on 2009-11-06 at 07:56:18ID: 25760216

Great.

;-)

 

by: boag2000Posted on 2009-11-09 at 12:29:56ID: 25779692

Oh, and you can also leave the data in SQL server and link it into Access...
This way there would be no real Access size restriction.
(or simply leave the data in SQL Server, depending on your exact needs.)
;-)

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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