Nolene,

Good morning and Happy Holidays. The simple answer to your question is
no, you can't just find the directory and move them into your system.
Particularly if your 'in-house' system and your LaserFiche system do not
utilize the same database (MS SQL; Oracle; etc.)

Although you are correct that the indexing information is maintained in
a database table(s) in the LaserFiche system and the TIFF images are
most likely stored on a separate shared folder; an important part of the
cost of the LaserFiche software (and annual support dollars) is for the
development and maintenance of the application's ability to authenticate
users with permission to see/use the images; help users build a query
for the image(s) to be retrieved; locate the image(s) in the shared
folder; and then display it properly on the monitor.

Even if you knew the correct table(s) to copy and added them to your
'in-house' system it is extremely unlikely that your 'in-house' system
would be able to help build a query for those images or display them for
users without importing the indexing information and the associated TIFF
images with an import utility built specifically for your 'in-house'
system. (This is usually a pretty straight forward process that can be
automated however.)

Also, along with the indexing and TIFF location information; there is
usually other critical information associated with the TIFF images in
the LaserFiche (or any other document imaging software application)
database that are just as needed for proper retrieval and use of the
TIFF images. This information may include document security levels
assigned to the images; annotations to the images (post scanning sticky
notes, image redaction, etc.); or OCR and full text indexing of the
images. All of these nuances would be lost in a simple database copy
from the LaserFiche database into another scanning application.

I would recommend that you get with your IT Department and see if you
can locate a local vendor who has an export utility built to construct
an export file containing the TIFF images and all pertinent information
from the LaserFiche database that can then be run through an import
utility built specifically for your 'in-house' system. 

There will of course be costs associated with this process; but in my
experience (short of rescanning the images directly into your 'in-house'
system) this is the only way to be able to access the existing TIFF
images with your new system.

I know this is not exactly what you were wanting to hear, but I hope it
helps.

Sincerely,


Curtis Welch
Project Manager
Image One Corp.
[log in to unmask]
(800) 956-9000 ext 201

Tampa, Florida


-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Nolene Sherman
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 1:57 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [RM] Pulling images out of software no longer being used

One of our offices has several years worth of older TIF images saved  
and indexed in LaserFiche. They are now using an in-house software  
system to manage those types of records and cannot get the funds to  
pay for the annual subscription or maintenance fees. The woman I  
talked to says they cannot "get the images out of LaserFiche."  Other  
than knowing the name, I am not familiar with LaserFiche, but I find  
it hard to believe that the images themselves are not accessible  
without paying for the software -- the indexing perhaps, but not the  
images. Shouldn't we just be able to find the directory the images are  
in and move them into our own system? Or does LasheFiche do something  
funny to prevent that?


Nolene Sherman
[log in to unmask]
Orange County, CA

Tracking where records are kept is what Tiggers and Records Managers  
do best!

List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance
To unsubscribe from this list, click the below link. If not already
present, place UNSUBSCRIBE RECMGMT-L or UNSUB RECMGMT-L in the body of
the message.
mailto:[log in to unmask]

List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance
To unsubscribe from this list, click the below link. If not already present, place UNSUBSCRIBE RECMGMT-L or UNSUB RECMGMT-L in the body of the message.
mailto:[log in to unmask]