Atoll 2.8.2 : Creating a new atoll Document from a Database

Creating a New Atoll Document from a Database

When you create a new document from a database, you must connect to the database. Once connected, Atoll loads the database into a new Atoll document. Then the connected is interrupted. A new connection with the database will be created only when necessary, in order to allow other users access to the database.

The exact procedure of connecting with the database differs from one database to another. Atoll can work with the following databases:

• Microsoft Access

• Microsoft SQL Server

• Oracle

• Sybase

• Microsoft Data Link files

The following sections give examples of connecting to two different databases and loading data:

• "Connecting to an MS Access Database"

To create a new document from an MS Access database:

1. Select File > New > From an Existing Database. The Open from a Database dialogue appears.

2. In the Files of type list, select "Microsoft Access" as the type of database:

3. Select the name of the database and click OK. The Data to Load dialogue appears, allowing you to select the data to load into Atoll as a new document.

• "Connecting to an Oracle Database".

Connecting to an Oracle Database

To create a new document from an Oracle database:

1. Select File > New > From an Existing Database. The Open from a Database dialogue appears.

2. In the Files of type list, select "Oracle" as the type of database:

3. In the dialogue that appears, enter your User Name, Password, and Server (as defined in the tnsnames.ora file).

Figure 2.7: Connecting to an Oracle database

Note: Additional dialogues may open asking you to choose which project in the database to load or which site list to load.

4. Click OK. The Data to Load dialogue appears, allowing you to select the data to load into Atoll as a new document.

• "Selecting the Data to Load From the Database".

Selecting the Data to Load From the Database

When you create a new document from a database, you can select the data to be loaded from the database to create the document in the Data to load dialogue. You can select which Project, Site List, Custom Fields Groups, and Neighbour to load. If you load the intra-technology or the inter-technology neighbour list, Atoll will also load the associated exceptional pairs table.

Figure 2.8: Selecting the data to load

An example of a new Atoll document created from a database is shown in:

• "Working With a Document on a Database"

Working With a Document on a Database

Figure 2.9 shows a new Atoll document based created from a database. The Data tab of the Explorer window now has a folder structure suitable for a UMTS radio-planning project. The Sites folder is expanded to show that a document created from a database can have additional data, such as sites, unlike a document created from a template. These can be modified or replaced. Figure 2.10 and Figure 2.11 show the contents of the Geo and Modules tabs of the new document, respectively.

Figure 2.9: New Atoll document opened from a database

Note: The new document may open with no site displayed in the map window. This is because the north-west point of the project is by default the axis origin. You can re-centre the document on the data displayed in the Data tab by expanding the Sites folder, right-clicking on any site, and selecting Centre in the map window from the context menu.

Figure 2.10: New Atoll document — Geo tab

Figure 2.11: New Atoll document — Modules tab

When you create an Atoll document from a database, you can view the characteristics of the database connection.

To view the characteristics of the database connection:

1. Select File > Database > Connection Properties. The Database Connection dialogue appears (see Figure 2.12).

2. You can now:

- Disconnect your document from the database.

Caution: If you disconnect your document from the database, it will be become a stand-alone document and you will not be able to reconnect it to the database.

- Modify your connection to the database.

Figure 2.12: The Database Connection dialogue