Backing up and clearing the database

[WILKO92]

Sorry if I am missing something that I shoul know but I can't find any mention either here or in the advanced user guide.

I have been operating for over a year now and the database is steadily getting bigger. Despite compacting, it is over 17Mb and viewing completed orders take a while to load them all in.

Is there a method of archiving these details and clearing the database contents?

[Paul Bulpit]

Know the problem - it gets slower and slower!

What we did was to create a snapshot and copy the file to a clearly labelled CD (or you could just leave it in the Backups folder with a name xxx_DONOTDELETE.acd)

Then we deleted all stored orders up to (say) three months ago.....

We have only had to restore the snapshot twice to look up old information, and then only because that was easier than trawling through boxes of copy invoices. As time went on, the need to access the old data became less & less.

We did this last March, clearing up to 31/12/05 - we'll do it again this March, so twice a year isn't bad. As we get busier we may have to do it more often.

[WILKO92]

Thanks, that sounds fine.

I shall probably just do one at the end of each financial year and put up with it getting slower as the year goes on. I shall think of it as a mark of success!

I take it you meant save the snapshot AND the database backup file so that both the content and order details are sychronised.

[Bruce]

Just the snapshot should do fine really as it contains the database and all that you have in the 'Site1' folder.

Kind regards,

[leehack]

Although i would suggest having VERY frequent snapshots taken at all times, which will automatically allow you to archive without any fuss, for orders i would always suggest having a second database on your system, which just details the orders. This way means that no restoring of snapshots needs doing and the information should be very quick to find.

If a database only has the order details, it will happily handle years and years of data and will always be a central archive for any queries in this area.

[Paul Bulpit]

I take it you meant save the snapshot AND the database backup file so that both the content and order details are sychronised.

To reply to this and also clarify Brice's comment, actually I very rarely use Database Backup, which stores two copies of the database, this one & the previous one, on the hard-drive. This is not a lot of use if the HDD fails, the PC is stolen or the office burns down.

I use Site Snapshot onto USB Flash Drives & take them home in my pocket. Each time I do it I name it by date, and as the drive gets full just delete the older ones; also I have two drives and roughly alternate them. Although it takes a few minutes, by the time I've gone round locking up & turning lights out it has finished, pull out the USB & shut down, out of the door...

So without much effort I've always got at least 6 or 8 complete copies of the complete website; the most I could lose would be one days orders records. Of these the ones that have been processed are finished & I have a copy invoice; any that were not processed, I have the copy email from which I can rebuild them.

Further, I occasionally FTP the Snapshot to the server! At weekends I take the PC home (it's a really neat, compact one) and it does this over dinner.

[acompton]

Despite compacting, it is over 17Mb and viewing completed orders take a while to load them all in.

Get some more memory in your PC - that always works wonders on database performance.

Alan Compton
www.greenknightgames.co.uk
Great board games and cards games you won't find in the High Street

[leehack]

Further, I occasionally FTP the Snapshot to the server! At weekends I take the PC home (it's a really neat, compact one) and it does this over dinner.

Hopefully you are using a PSP.

[WILKO92]

Just the snapshot should do fine really as it contains the database and all that you have in the 'Site1' folder.

Kind regards,

This outlines another problem with my snapshot from one particular machine.
I have mentioned before the fact that taking a snapshot from my main working machine does not copy across shipping changes. Guess what.... it also does not update the orders. I have always accepted that to this you need to copy the database backup file into site1 on the second machine and this is what I do every night.

I can live with it and I am sure that removeing and reloading the application would put it right, after all it is the same application disc on all 3 of my machines and copying back the other way works fine. Although I have never checked this with order changes as I only download orders into the main machine.

[Paul Bulpit]

Graham, can you email me through my profile on the left, I'm not sure what you're getting at before I post a reply. You have to be very careful & conscientious with Snapshots in & out when using two PC's, I'll explain it if necessary.

[WILKO92]

I think I may have sorted it.

I have just noticed a little check box on the import snapshot dialogue that asks if I want to import the orders. I have duly ticked it and hey presto, my orders have been updated.

Things are a lot clearer with your eyes open!

Is it possible that this may also have been causing the shipping details to not update?

I shall check this next time the post prices change.

[Paul Bulpit]

That's the sort of thing I was going to explain - when running Orders & Content on two PC's you need to be VERY careful with that checkbox!

I'm not sure that this applies in your case though - it seems that your 'main' machine is doing everything, then periodically you copy a snapshot onto another PC.