Legacy Data

Legacy data is data that you already have and use. Most often, this takes the form of records in an existing database on a system in current use. At mindwrap., the questions we are most frequently asked concern how to use these legacy records, how to "image enable" an existing database, or how Optix can interact with an existing system. Often, the existing database forms an important part of daily work and will remain in place after Optix is installed.

Optix can help you leverage your legacy data in a variety of ways. Because Optix stores all of its management tables, workflow tables, and user-level attribute tables in an underlying database such as Oracle™, Informix™, or Sybase™, it is relatively easy to copy a legacy database into Optix by offloading records and onloading them into the Optix database. Using our index screen design tool, you can generate an indexing and query screen to match any existing record layout.

A relatively easy method of using legacy data can be obtained via COLD - electronically importing batch-printed documents from mainframes and automatically adding them to Optix. Our Optix COLD product makes this an easy task.

Another common solution is to integrate "on the glass" by simply having your legacy database in one window on your desktop and Optix in another. Often it is possible to script the transfer of window contents (some database field values for example) between the two windows. Because Optix is fully scriptable, this can be a flexible and non-intrusive way to get the job done.

More sophisticated integration with legacy systems is possible, including real-time updating of both the legacy and Optix databases. This level of integration often entails some amount of custom development. To accomplish this we offer the Optix API libraries which duplicate all of the interaction possible between the full Optix client and the server, enabling the development of programs to add records, perform queries, and generally manage document and records across systems. If your needs require this level of sophistication, give us a call, and we can discuss how your in-house team (or our developers) can achieve your goals.

Find out more about our Integration Tools.