There may be a time when you would like to import shipping instructions from another RMS database. For example, you can set up one database with import properties to import shipping instructions for all of your company's shipments. You may not wish for RMS to track all of these shipments, so in another RMS database your fleet of railcars are entered which represent only a fraction of all of the shipments. You can import only the shipping instructions for this fleet and limit new temporary fleet assignments by certain origins and fleet status' (temporary or permanent) by following these steps:
Note: The database that contains your main fleet of railcars that you wish to manage is called the Primary Database. The other database is called the Second Database.
1. In the Primary Database, enter the information required for it to connect to the Second Database. From Data Management, open the Reference Values window and enter the connection information in the following references:
Second Database Name
Second Database Server
Second Database Server Drivers
Second Database User Name
Second Database Password
You will typically get this information from your Network or Database Administrator.
2. Close RMS, re-open it and click on the Edit Logon Settings button on the Logon window. Enter the information to connect to the Second Database.
3. Once in the Second Database, open the Data Management | Reference Values window and enter the information to connect back to the Primary Database similarl to Step 1. Only this time, the Primary Database is considered the Second Database from the perspective of the Second Database.
4. Configure the Second Database to import the desired data and schedule it to happen shortly before you will want to bring some of that data into the Primary Database. Also schedule an activity to connect back to the Primary Database shortly after the import using the Connect To Secondary Database scheduled activity.
5. Close RMS, re-open it and click on the Edit Logon Settings button on the Logon window. Enter the information to connect to the Primary Database and click OK.
6. Back in the Primary Database, open the Scheduler window and schedule new activities:
Connect To Secondary Database (enter a date/time shortly before you have scheduled the import in the Second(ary) Database.
Import Data or Import Data and Run Cycles at a date/time when the import has completed in the Second Database and RMS has connected back to the Primary Database.
7. Close the Scheduler window.
8. Open the Data Management | Contract Rates window. RMS has the ability to limit the shipping instructions imported from the Second Database by Origin and Fleet Status.
9. Click on the New button and enter an Origin, Destination, Commodity, Tariff Issue; click on the Cont. tab and select the Railcar Fleet Status indicating what types of railcar shipments are allowed. Even though RMS only uses the Origin and Fleet Status for filtering purposes, you still need to enter the other information since the record will not be saved without it. You can select any Destination, Commodity and Tariff Issue - it will not effect this filter. Close the Contract Rates window.
10. Open the Data Management | Import Properties window and click on the Shipping Instruction Data tab. Place a check in the Business System check box and select RMS System from the text box to the right.
11. Click on the Options tab and place a check in the check box labeled Exclude shipping instructions that don't have an origin and railcar fleet status that matches an existing active contract. Click the Save button.
This is the format of the comma delimitted file that is created from this process.
Field Name Data Type Width Required
CarInitial Text 4 Yes
CarNumber Numeric 6 Yes
BOLNum Text 30 Yes
BOLDate Date 10 Yes (Format: mm/dd/yyyy)
BOLTime Time 8 Yes (Format: hh:mm)
Shipper Text 35
Consignee Text 35
OriginCity Text 25
OriginState Text 2
DestCity Text 25
DestState Text 2
Route Text 50
STCC Numeric 7
Commodity Text 25
Contract Text 25
NetWeight Numeric 8
CareOf Text 35
Correction Text 4
LEStatus Text 1 Yes
Source Text 3 Yes (Set to "TXT" always)
ShipmentID Text 6
ShipmentDesc Text 30
ExpOrderDttm Date/Time 10 (Format: mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss)
TransMethod Text 1 Yes
DocCreated Date/Time 19 Yes (Format: mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss)
ShipperCity Text 30
ShipperState Text 2
ConsigneeCity Text 30
ConsigneeState Text 2
PaymentMethod Text 2
WaybillNum Numeric 6
WaybillDate Date/Time 10 (Format: mm/dd/yyyy)
SenderCode Text 4