Question

When I right click on the database I want to export data from, I only get to select a single table or view, rather than being able to export all of the data. Is there a way to export all of the data?

If this is not possible, could you advise on how I could do the following:

• I have two databases, with the same table names, but one has more data than the other
• They both have different database names (Table names are identical)
• They are both on different servers

I need to get all of the additional data from the larger database, into the smaller database.

Both are MS SQL databases

Answer 1

Being that both are MS SQL Servers, on different hosts… why bother with CSV when you can setup a Linked Server instance so you can access one instance from the other via a SQL statement?

1. Make sure you have a valid user on the instance you want to retrieve data from – it must have access to the table(s)
2. Create the Linked Server instance

3. Reference the name in queries using four name syntax:

   INSERT INTO db1.dbo.SmallerTable
   SELECT *
     FROM linked_server.db.dbo.LargerTable lt
    WHERE NOT EXISTS(SELECT NULL
                       FROM db1.dbo.SmallerTable st
                      WHERE st.col = lt.col) 
   

Replace WHERE st.col = lt.col with whatever criteria you consider to be duplicate values between the two tables.