# Extracting XML from Keyfax tables

We are often asked, particularly by integration engineers, how to access information relating to **Startup** or **Export** data. Typically, data is held in XML documents which can be difficult to read. Using SQL Server Management Services (SSMS) it is possible to view either **Session** or **History** data.

### Session Data

Here we are looking at session data from the **seSessionValues** table. Other tables holding XML content are syOrder (repair orders) and syTaskHistory (repairs and enquiries).

To retrieve the latest **Startup XML** the following provides clickable links.

```sql
SELECT DateTime, GUID, Name, CONVERT(xml, REPLACE(CAST(Data AS NVARCHAR(MAX)), ' encoding="utf-8"', ''))
FROM seSessionValues WITH (NOLOCK)
WHERE Name = 'Startup'
ORDER BY DateTime DESC
```

Run the results into a Grid and the hyperlinks will be presented; clicking each will open the formatted XML document in a new tab:

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://2882349412-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MARm6St_qFGM52R3pBa%2Fuploads%2F4Ceci6DIEpGTTaaFLuiO%2F2023-06-08_12h26_30.png?alt=media&#x26;token=4d1db734-5e07-4465-8363-51126a15d95d" alt=""><figcaption><p>seSessionValues sample data</p></figcaption></figure></div>

**Export XML** can be extracted as follows:

```sql
SELECT DateTime, GUID, Name, CONVERT(xml, REPLACE(CAST(Data AS NVARCHAR(MAX)), ' encoding="utf-8"', ''))
FROM seSessionValues WITH (NOLOCK)
WHERE Name = 'EXPORT_XML'
ORDER BY DateTime DESC
```

### History Data

Depending on your configuration, this will involve two main tables **syOrders** and **syTaskHistory**:

```sql
SELECT * FROM syOrder WITH (NOLOCK) ORDER BY Created DESC
 or
SELECT * FROM syTaskHistory WITH (NOLOCK) ORDER BY Created DESC

```