The Query Extract tool extracts the results of running SMS queries into individual spreadsheets of an Excel workbook. By placing the query data into an Excel workbook, you can analyze, format, graph, and print the information or export it to other applications, such as Microsoft Word or Microsoft PowerPoint. Using any of these applications, you can create reports customized to your organization’s requirements.
To import the query data, the Query Extract tool utilizes Excel macros and Visual Basic® for Applications (VBA) code to create a WMI connection to your site’s SMS data. The tool prompts you to provide the name of a site server and a valid user name and password, and then it programmatically obtains the location of the SMS Provider site system for the specified site. After making a connection to the SMS Provider (or namespace), the Query Extract tool prompts you to select one or more queries from the site’s current list of SMS queries. You can select the queries shipped with SMS 2.0, or you can use queries that you create yourself using the SMS Query Builder.
The Query Extract tool is distributed both as an Excel template and as a workbook on the SMS 2.0 compact disc. The files Smsextract.xlt and Smsextract.xls, are located in the Support\Reskit\Bin\<platform>\Report directory (where <platform> is either Alpha or i386). The advantage of using the template version is that each time you import SMS information into this tool and save the file, you save the information as a new workbook, without changing the original template.