Database Size

See also: Introduction Troubleshooting flow chart + worksheet How to troubleshoot damaged data Database myths Causes of data damage How to repair How to export/import Troubleshooting FAQs Tips for preventing damaged data Inside the database Database size Windows tips

The Clients & Profits database has a maximum size of 2.56 gigabytes, which is comprised of 10 segments of 256 megabytes each. The first database segment, which was created when you first started Clients & Profits, increases in size automatically as new records are added. As the staff learns more about Clients & Profits, the volume of work added increases. You’ll see the database’s growth rate quicken after the first six months. How fast your database grows is also a factor of your shop’s growth—picking up several new clients will add an unexpected growth spurt to the database. It’s easy to lose track of the database’s size, which can suddenly run out of room—causing data to be lost. So tracking the database’s size is a critical role for the C&P system manager. To check the database size The database’s current size is shown in the Database Utilities window: The Database Utilities shows two sizes: file size and data size. The file size is the size of the database file on the file server (i.e., its physical or “logical” size). In contrast, the data size shows the actual size of the records contained inside the database file. If you don’t pre-size or purge your database, these two sizes will be nearly identical. Pre-sizing the database changes the file size, since it is the actual physical size of the file on the server’s hard disk. As data is added to the database, its data size increases. The data size is more important because it determines whether the database is too full -- when the data size reaches 250 megabytes, it’s time to add another segment or else it’ll run out of space. For an explanation of database segments, see Inside the Clients & Profits Database. As your database reaches 250mb, you’ll be prompted to add a new segment. This is a very important step—if a new segment isn’t created, the database will run out of free space (you’ll see a “data files full” error message) and data will be lost. (If C&P mail is enabled, a reminder will be e-mailed to the system manager each time a manager-level user starts Clients & Profits, so the issue should be hard to ignore. The database’s growth rate can be graphed in Database Utilities by clicking the button. The database’s size is recorded each time this button is clicked. By regularly viewing the database graph, you’ll be able to easily track the growth rate and better predict its future size. To pre-size the database It isn’t necessary to pre-size your database with Clients & Profits version 3.0 or later. Your database will expand automatically as new data is entered. But in high-volume environments (for example, more than ten simultaneous users) it is still more efficient to set the database size in advance. By pre-sizing you’re allocating a fixed amount of disk space for the database. The database’s file size on the server will be larger than the amount of data that it actually contains. When new work is added, the database size won’t grow -- instead, the new data simply fills up the unused space. In this way pre-sizing the database helps prevent disk-based fragmentation. Pre-sizing is a single-user function. It won’t work if other users have the database open. Also, pre-size the database when there is the least amount of network traffic; if the file server crashes for any reason, the database will become corrupted and a backup copy will have to be restored. 1 Choose Setup > Utilities > Database Utilities. 2 Choose File > Change Database Size. The Change Database Size dialog box opens, prompting you to enter the database’s new size. The database size can be increased in 10% increments by clicking the button or by entering the database’s new size (in megabytes) in the size field, up to 256 megabytes. If your database is growing relatively slowly (e.g., less than 50 mb per year) there’s no advantage to pre-sizing it to 256mb -- it’ll just be a more difficult to copy to zips, etc.. If your database is growing faster, or you have more than ten simultaneous users, pre-sizing the database to its maximum size of 256mb is recommended to prevent fragmentation. 3 Enter the database’s new size, then click OK. Extending the size of the database will take only a few minutes, depending on how large it is being expanded. Once completed, the database is ready for new work. To add an additional segment A new segment can’t be added unless the database is already 250 megabytes or larger. This limitation prevents a second segment from being added accidentally (which is important since it can’t be undone). If someone tries to add a new segment too soon, they’ll see this error: Like pre-sizing, adding a new segment is a single-user function. It won’t work if other users are using the database. Also, don’t add a new database segment if there is a lot of network traffic (because if the file server crashes, the database and its new segment will be unusable and a backup copy will have to be restored). First, be sure the database is properly named and has the .DF1 file extension. The database name shouldn’t have quotes, dashes, slashes, periods, spaces, or other special characters (underscores are ok). A good name should include the company name, something that describes it as the accounting database, and the fiscal year (e.g., CP_ACCT99.DF1, AGENCY_ACCT99, etc.). 1 Choose Setup > Utilities > Database Utilities. 2 Click the (i.e., Change Database Size) button or choose File > Change Database Size. 3 Click the Add Segment button. 4 Click OK. The new segment is automatically named using the database’s name, but ending with the .DF2 extension. New segments are pre-sized to 100 megabytes. Unlike the first database segment, additional segments aren’t automatically extended as new data is added. This means it’s important that the system manager track the database’s free space (i.e., the data size) from month to month to prevent the database from becoming full. As the data size nears 100mb, you’ll need to use the Change Database Size utility to extend the database size. DO NOT MOVE, DELETE OR RENAME A DATABASE SEGMENT. Once an addition segment is created, moving, deleting, or renaming it will cause the entire database to be unusable. Always back up and restore a database and its segments together as a group. If different versions of a database and its segments are mixed up, the entire database will be unusable. Adding three or more segments is possible, but not recommended. For databases over 500 megabytes, upgrading to Clients & Profits SQL is recommended. For more information, contact the Clients & Profits Sales at (800) 272-4488 Next Page: Windows Tips