Upgrading Cyres Cytology from Microsoft Access to SQL Server

Getting started

This guide is intended for I.T. professionals with experience of installing and configuring databases on a Microsoft SQL Server. Database installation and configuration steps are not included in this guide.

Microsoft Access database location

Before upgrading to SQL, you will need to know where the current Cyres Cytology database is stored. The file is called Cyres.mdb

Blank Cyres Cytology SQL Server database

The SQL Server database can be downloaded from

This database is compatible with SQL Server 2005 (or above). It is also compatible with SQL Server Express 2005 (or above).

Once the database has been installed on your SQL Server, please make sure that all Cyres Cytology users have necessary permissions to be able to read and write to data in the tables. Each user will need at least DB_DATAREADER and DB_DATAWRITER permissions to the CyresCytology database.

Migrating the data to SQL Server

Download the migration utility from

Step 1

Open the migration utility.

Make sure that “Microsoft Access Database” is selected, then click next.

A dialog box (shown above) will appear. Click the Browse button to locate your Cyres Cytology Access database (Cyres.MDB), then click OK.

Step 2

Make sure that “SQL Server Database” is selected then click next.

Enter the connection details to the CyresCytology database on your SQL Server. Click the “Test Connection” button to confirm the details are correct.

Step 3

Click the “Copy Data” button to begin the data migration.

Step 4

The migration utility will show the progress of the data migration. This process can take some time depending on data quantity and network speed.

Once the migration is complete you will get the following message:

Renaming the Access database

Once the data has been transferred into SQL Server, Cyres recommends that the Access database be renamed or moved. This is to make sure that Cyres Cytology users can no longer use the Access database.

The migration tool will ask whether you want the database to be renamed now.

If you click YES, the migration tool will automatically rename the database from CYRES.MDB to:

CYRES_OLD_DATABASE_{Date/Time}.MDB

If you prefer, you can move this file to a safe location, so that it is no longer accessible by the Cyres Cytology system.

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