Activity Data storage and access

[Shawn Tayler]

Hi Guys,

I have an interesting problem that perhaps someone on the list has some
insight on.  I have a system that logs activity data from a communications
network.  This data is stored in a MS-SQL v7 data base running on NT4. 
The system itself can only store 40days of this data.  There is a method to
recover older data from  the tape backup, run daily.  This data though will
be purged around midnight to keep the 40 day limit.  The system has limited
storage and upgrading it its not a real option.  The daily activity is
exported by MS_SQL each night to a folder, containg 9 files, I assume these
are tables.  A batch file is also created that can be used to restore this
or any recovered data folder back into the database if needed for report
generation.  A basic form of Crystal reports is used for said generation.

As I stated a daily activity snapshot is exported each night and backed up
to tape. then deleted.  I have a Slackware box connecting via Samba to the
NT4 server that grabs this folder each night.  I will be recovering the
vast majority of this data from the tapes as time permits and copying it to
the Slack box for storage, and faster recovery than futzing with the tape.

What I would like to do is to setup a MySQL or PostgreSQL data base and
import the full record into it.  This would facilitate the recovery of
larger chunks of data for reporting to the System users.  This is a system
where it is handy to be able to look back a few years when investigating
certain things.  I have access to the existing Crystal Reports scripts so I
think it would be possible to do something OpenSource to get past the
massive licensing restrictions this system has.

I must add that I am not a programmer, other than Basic many, many years
ago.  I have no real database experience either.  Could someone point me
toward a path where I could perhaps learn the needed skills?

I am open to any suggestions or ideas that may be available.

Shawn