" a collection of node and interface data that I'd like to export and save, and selectively import into the newer server."
Are you referring to trying to import that database data from one instance into another? That could be potentially catastrophic. Since pretty much everything in Orion gets incremented when added, you very likely have duplication node/volume/interface/template/etc ID's. if you try to merge the databases, you may end up overwriting the data on the target server with the data from the source (best case) or corrupting your database entirely (worst case).
When we consolidated our instances, i backed up the old DB and attached it to my new SQL server with a new name. The Orion database is kept separate and all new polling occurs on it. The old database is just there for reporting/archiving, and never the twain shall meet.