Export Blob From SQL Server and save it as a file

Question

I am trying to Export Data from SQL Server to a file. The data is docs, pdf, jpegs, xls, and sms. I found a script that would do so however whenever i run it I receive a non descriptive error message

C:\ExtractBlob\folder1\folder2\folder3 Msg 50000, Level 16, State 1, Procedure CreateFolder, Line 30 [Batch Start Line 8]

My code is below:

Procedure to create a folder to store Blobs in

            sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;
            GO
            RECONFIGURE;
            GO
            sp_configure 'Ole Automation Procedures', 1;
            GO
            RECONFIGURE;
            GO

            CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[CreateFolder] (@newfolder varchar(1000)) AS 
            BEGIN 
            DECLARE @OLEfolder   INT 
            DECLARE @OLEsource   VARCHAR(255) 
            DECLARE @OLEdescription  VARCHAR(255)
            DECLARE @init   INT 
            DECLARE @OLEfilesytemobject INT

            -- it will fail if OLE automation not enabled
            EXEC @init=sp_OACreate 'Scripting.FileSystemObject', @OLEfilesytemobject OUT 
            IF @init <> 0 
            BEGIN 
                EXEC sp_OAGetErrorInfo @OLEfilesytemobject 
                RETURN 
            END 
            -- check if folder exists
            EXEC @init=sp_OAMethod @OLEfilesytemobject, 'FolderExists', @OLEfolder OUT, @newfolder
            -- if folder doesnt exist, create it 
                IF @OLEfolder=0 
                BEGIN 
                EXEC @init=sp_OAMethod @OLEfilesytemobject, 'CreateFolder', @OLEfolder OUT, @newfolder 
            END 
            -- in case of error, raise it  
            IF @init <> 0 
                BEGIN 
                    EXEC sp_OAGetErrorInfo @OLEfilesytemobject, @OLEsource OUT, @OLEdescription OUT 
                    SELECT @OLEdescription='Could not create folder: ' + @OLEdescription 
                    RAISERROR (@OLEdescription, 16, 1)  
                END 
            EXECUTE @init = sp_OADestroy @OLEfilesytemobject 
            END

Export Code

            USE [IQS]
            DECLARE @outPutPath varchar(50) = 'C:\Users\trenton.gibbs\Documents\Extract'
            , @i bigint
            , @init int
            , @data varbinary(max)
            , @fPath varchar(max) 
            , @folderPath  varchar(max)

            --Get Data into temp Table variable so that we can iterate over it
            DECLARE @Imagetable TABLE (id int identity(1,1), [Doc_Num]  varchar(100) , [FileName]  varchar(100), [Doc_Content] varBinary(max) )

            INSERT INTO @Imagetable([Doc_Num],[FileName],[Doc_Content])
            Select [Link_Embed_Sysid],[File_Location], Convert(varbinary(max),[Embed_Object]) FROM  [dbo].[Link_Embed]
            Where Create_Date Between '9/1/2018' And '9/8/2018'
            And [Embed_Object] IS NOT NULL

            --SELECT * FROM @Imagetable

            SELECT @i = COUNT(1) FROM @Imagetable

            WHILE @i >= 1
            BEGIN

                SELECT
                 @data = [Doc_Content],
                 @fPath = @outPutPath + '\'+ [Doc_Num] + '\' +[FileName],
                 @folderPath = @outPutPath + '\'+ [Doc_Num]
                FROM @Imagetable WHERE id = @i

              --Create folder first
              EXEC  [dbo].[CreateFolder]  @folderPath

              EXEC sp_OACreate 'ADODB.Stream', @init OUTPUT; -- An instace created
              EXEC sp_OASetProperty @init, 'Type', 1; 
              EXEC sp_OAMethod @init, 'Open'; -- Calling a method
              EXEC sp_OAMethod @init, 'Write', NULL, @data; -- Calling a method
              EXEC sp_OAMethod @init, 'SaveToFile', NULL, @fPath, 2; -- Calling a method
              EXEC sp_OAMethod @init, 'Close'; -- Calling a method
              EXEC sp_OADestroy @init; -- Closed the resources

              print 'Document Generated at - '+  @fPath  

            --Reset the variables for next use
            SELECT @data = NULL 
            , @init = NULL
            , @fPath = NULL 
            , @folderPath = NULL
            SET @i -= 1
            END

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this error?

There are ways to do this (read about BCP in connection with a format file to avoid a header, which would invalidate your file), but - if this is possible for you - you should rather use another tool for this. It is much easier to read data out of your database and write it to a file with any encoding you need with C#, Java or any other programming language.... — Shnugo, Nov 05 '18 at 22:16
I think you have to double \ Try : `DECLARE @outPutPath varchar(50) = 'C:\\Users\\trenton.gibbs\\Documents\\Extract'` — DanB, Nov 06 '18 at 16:11
There's no reason to use OLE and definitely not those old insecure stored procedures. Use SQL Server's built-in tools - bcp, sqlcmd, SSIS. In fact, you'd have to *weaken security* to allow use of those stored procedures. No DBA is going to allow that and there's no need to — Panagiotis Kanavos, Nov 06 '18 at 16:31
Personally, I would use Power Shell to extract Blob Files files for any "one off" projects. If this was going to be an ongoing project/process then I would look at building either an SSIS package or a small C# app. — Mark Kram, Nov 06 '18 at 16:33
Possible duplicate of [How do I use BCP or Sql Server Management Studio to get BLOB data out of Sql Server?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2404709/how-do-i-use-bcp-or-sql-server-management-studio-to-get-blob-data-out-of-sql-ser) — Panagiotis Kanavos, Nov 06 '18 at 16:33

score 2 · Answer 1 · edited Nov 06 '18 at 16:27

2

You might want to check your folder creation path.

@outPutPath varchar(50) = 'C:\Users\trenton.gibbs\Documents\Extract'

It may be either permissions related or the path is invalid. For example, to create the folder "Extract", [C:\Users\trenton.gibbs\Documents\] must already exist.

edited Nov 06 '18 at 16:27

DanB

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answered Nov 06 '18 at 16:05

level3looper

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Export Blob From SQL Server and save it as a file

1 Answers1