Database Configuration

Master Dashboard Login   

The Database Configuration folder in Management provides options for controlling how data is handled. A Master login can select locations and options for backups and archives, but you must be logged in as SA to set the database size limit and memory used.

Database Size

SA Only.  If you installed MSDE SQL Server with Spector 360, this option is not available; the database size limit is always 2 GB. If you have Standard or Enterprise SQL Server installed with Spector 360, the SA login can change the maximum database size. For example, if you have a large server, you may want to expand the maximum database size to 10 GB.  When a STORAGE database reaches the maximum size, it automatically "clones" itself and starts a new database with an incremented number (STORAGE-002).

Memory Size

SA Only. The Memory Size setting determines how MS SQL Server handles database query and retrieval demands on your physical system memory. By default the database uses dyanmic memory. This option is available to the SA login only (see Dashboard Login Types).

To set memory size:

Choose one of these options:

• Dynamic: Allows the SQL Server to use as much physical memory as it needs, when it needs it. If it needs 100 MB, that's what it uses; if it needs 500 MB, that's what it uses. Use this setting for best performance when you are not worried about memory and disk space on the computer where the Spector 360 Database resides.
  
  

• Range: Displays a slider that allows you to set a range of memory used by SQL Server in MB. The bottom of the range is always used, and the top is never surpassed. Move the slider to set the top end of the range. In the following example, 250 MB of memory are reserved to process the Dashboard requests, and no more than 382 MB will ever be used.  
  
  

• Fixed: Displays a slider that lets you set the exact amount of physical memory that the SQL Server database will have available to it when the Dashboard is run. In the following example, exactly 382 MB of memory are always reserved to process the Dashboard requests.
  
  

Click Save at the bottom of the right pane to save your changes and close the dialog box.

Settings

To turn on general deb or index options:

Click to check the option box. Do not change these settings unless instructed to do so by SpectorSoft Technical Support. The Debug information is necessary only if you are experiencing database errors. Debug logging is written to the database and can be retrieved only with the assistance of SpectorSoft Technical Support.

• Generate Debug information for all Raw Data Processing:
  Turns on logging of the Process Data Vault job to capture all processing activity before insertion into the database.

• Generate debug information for Raw Data Source (User Only):
  Turns on logging of the Process Data Vault job specifically to capture user information.

• Generate Debug information for all Data Requests (UI):
  Turns on logging of requests made from the Dashboard to the database.

• Index Event tables after data processing:
  Check this option only if you have a large number of clients and plenty of memory to handle the indexing in addition to Dashboard database requests. When Client Recorders send data to the Data Vault, the Data Server receives the data and periodically processes it and stores it in the database.  Like any database, the Spector 360 Database benefits from re-indexing periodically because new data is continually being added. However, choosing to index each time the Data Vault processes data will significantly slow down the database operation.

Database Options

To change the location of the next STORAGE database:

Click the folder button to the right of each path to open a Browse box and select a new location for the database files and the database logs. These settings will not affect the live database or current logs.

• Data Location:  
  Shows the location of the STORAGE databases. The Data folder has a default location of:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQLServer\MSSQL$SPECTOR360\DATA

This folder contains the .mdf and .ldf master and local database files used by SQL Server for the Spector 360 Database. You can change the location for the creation of the next STORAGE database.

• Log Location:
  Shows the location of the SQL Server database logs. The Log folder has a default location of:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL$SPECTOR360\LOG

This folder contains error logs and SQL agent logs maintained by Microsoft SQL Server. The logs are flat text files with date stamps, message codes, and Microsoft messages. Click the folder button to the right of the path to open a Browse window and select a new location for the logs. This setting goes into effect when the next STORAGE database is created and does not affect the current logs.

Backup and Archive Options

To change Backup and Archive locations:

Click the folder button to the right of each path to open a Browse box and select a new location for the database files and the database logs. Click OK on the Browse box, and remember to click Save on the Database Configuration Management pane to save your change.

• Backup Location:
  Path to the backup folders and files where full and differential backups are stored in incrementally numbered subfolders. The default path is:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL$SPECTOR360\Backup

• Archive Location:
  Path to the archive files. The default path is:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL$SPECTOR360\Archive

• Alert Location:
  Path to the administrative alert XML files. The default path is:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL$SPECTOR360\Alert

Snapshot and Attachment Files

If you are recording Screen Snapshots and Attachments, your database includes files for these recordings in the File Storage Location. The files will referenced by records when you Backup or Archive the data. This section allows you to copy the files to the backup or archive location. If you choose not to copy the files as part of Backup or Archive, when you Restore the data, the Dashboard will not be able to display the record's Snapshot or Email Attachment.

To include snapshots and attachments:

Check the options you want:

• Copy snapshot and attachment files during backup/restore:
  Check to copy any Screen Snapshot and Email Attachment files to the appropriate location when a Backup or Restore Backup operation takes place. Clear this option if you do not want these files included.

• Copy snapshot and attachment files during archive/restore:
  Check to copy Screen Snapshot and Email Attachment files to the appropriate location when an Archive or Restore Archive operation takes place. Clear the option if it does not matter to you that these files can be restored from archive with the data.

The final options let you set an error tolerance for Backup / Archive / Restore, as well as control the log file for these operations.

• Write update activity to Log File: The Backup / Archive / Restore log file is written automatically to the MSSQL$SPECTOR360 location in a LOG folder, and always includes errors encountered. Check this option to include all activity in addition to errors so that you can see exactly how many files have been copied and where in the process an error occurred during a restore. Clear this option to omit other activity and collect only the errors.

• Maximum errors before stopping file backup/archive/restore: By default this option is set to 0 (Zero). As soon as one error occurs, the Backup, Archive, or Restore operation stops. Type in or use the arrows to select a greater tolerance. For example, if you set this option to 100, the operation will process and encounter 100 errors before stopping. This may not be a problem if the errors are spread over thousands of files. See Troubleshooting: Backup, Archive, Restore Errors if you encounter errors.