BAAN Data Extraction and Migration Tools for ERP Transition
Data extraction from BAAN systems is the technical foundation of any migration project. BAAN's data architecture, with its multi-company structure, domain-compressed values, and Informix or Oracle backend, requires specialized extraction approaches. Native BAAN tools like bdbcopy (database copy utility) and ttaad4200 (data dictionary export) provide structured access, but large-scale migration typically requires direct database extraction combined with BAAN-aware transformation logic. This guide covers the tools, techniques, and best practices for extracting clean, complete data from BAAN environments.
Native BAAN Extraction Tools
BAAN provides several built-in utilities for data export that understand the application's data model and domain structure. The bdbcopy utility exports table data in BAAN's native format with optional ASCII conversion. Session ttaad4200 exports data dictionary definitions including table structures, domains, and relationships. BDT (BAAN Data Transfer) scripts provide programmable extraction with business logic filtering. These native tools ensure that domain-compressed values are properly decoded and multi-byte character encoding is preserved.
- Use bdbcopy for bulk table extraction with ASCII mode (-a flag) to produce human-readable output with decoded domain values
- Run ttaad4200 to export the complete data dictionary including table definitions, field types, domains, and referential integrity rules
- Create BDT extraction scripts for complex data sets requiring joins, filtering, and business logic transformations during export
- Use BAAN session bttaad1100 to generate table dependency maps showing which tables must be extracted in sequence for referential integrity
- Export BAAN report definitions and query structures using ttaad sessions to document the reporting layer for target system recreation
Direct Database Extraction Methods
For large-scale migrations, direct database extraction from Informix or Oracle provides faster throughput than BAAN's application-level tools. Direct extraction requires understanding BAAN's table naming conventions (tt_module_tablename with company prefix), domain compression schemes, and the relationship between BAAN logical tables and physical database tables. SQL-based extraction can process millions of records per hour but requires careful handling of BAAN-specific data types, nullable fields, and multi-company data segregation.
- Query Informix or Oracle directly using SQL with BAAN table naming conventions: company prefix (e.g., 100) + module code + table name
- Decode domain-compressed values using BAAN domain tables to convert internal codes to meaningful descriptions during extraction
- Handle multi-company data segregation by extracting per-company with company code filtering or consolidated with company identifier columns
- Process BAAN date fields correctly: BAAN stores dates as integers (YYMMDD format for BAAN IV, epoch-based for BAAN 5.x)
- Export BLOB and memo fields separately with proper encoding handling for document attachments and long text descriptions
Third-Party Migration and ETL Tools
Several third-party tools specialize in BAAN data migration, providing pre-built connectors, transformation logic, and validation frameworks. Tools like Informatica PowerCenter, Talend, and Microsoft SSIS can connect to BAAN databases directly, while specialized BAAN migration utilities from Infor and partners provide pre-mapped extraction templates for common migration targets. Selecting the right tool depends on the target ERP, data volume, transformation complexity, and available technical skills.
- Informatica PowerCenter with BAAN connector provides pre-built metadata integration and domain-aware transformation capabilities
- Talend Open Studio offers open-source ETL with JDBC connectivity to Informix and Oracle databases hosting BAAN instances
- Infor Migration Workbench provides pre-built extraction templates for BAAN-to-LN migrations with field-level mapping guides
- Custom Python/Pandas extraction scripts offer flexibility for complex transformation requirements with BAAN database libraries (ibm_db for Informix)
Extract your BAAN data cleanly for migration. Contact Netray for data extraction consulting.
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