Management - Databases
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Master Login / SA
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.
SA Only. When a STORAGE database reaches the maximum size , it automatically "clones" itself and starts a new database with an incremented number (STORAGE-002) with the same maximum size.
Max Size: Available for MS SQL Server 2005 Standard or Enterprise only. 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 from 5 GB to 10 GB. If you have MS SQL Server Express installed, the database maximum size is 4 GB and cannot be changed.
Unlimited: Available for MS SQL Server 2005 Standard or Enterprise only. The SA login can check this option to specify a STORAGE database with no size limit. This means that the database will not clone when it reaches a certain size, but continues to grow as one database. Be aware that a large database affects the performance of database jobs and Dashboard queries. If you have MS SQL Server Express installed, the database maximum size is 4 GB and cannot be changed.
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Click Save at the bottom of the Database configuration pane to save your settings. If you leave the folder without saving, you will be prompted to save. |
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 dynamic memory. This option is available to the SA login only.
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Limiting the memory available to the SQL Server database instance may slow down processing of Dashboard requests. Not limiting the memory when memory and disk space are a concern may cause problems with delivery of Dashboard requests. |
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.
Dynamic
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.
To change database and log locations:
Click the folder button to the right of each path to open a Browse box and select new locations for future STORAGE database files and database logs. These settings will not affect the live database or current logs. Click OK on the Browse box, and remember to click Save on the Database Configuration Management pane to save your change.
Data
Location:
Shows the location of the STORAGE databases where recorded data is
stored. 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 created on the Spector 360 Database computer's hard drive.
The default location is:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Spctr_Data\
Log
Location:
Shows the location of the SQL Server database logs. 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. The
default location is:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Spctr_Log\
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All locations set must be on the Data Vault / Database computer (hard drive or media). The locations can only be set from a Dashboard installed on the Data Vault / Database computer. |
Available ONLY on the database machine.
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 future backups and archives. These settings do not affect existing backups or archives. 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.1\MSSQL\Spctr_Backup\
Archive
Location:
Path to the folder where archive files are stored. The default path
is:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Spctr_Archive\
If you record Screen Snapshots and capture Email Attachments, you can include these files with Backup/Restore operations and with Archive/Restore operations. If you choose not to include Snapshot and Attachment files as part of Backup or Archive, when you Restore the data, the Dashboard will not be able to display an event record's Snapshot or Email Attachment.
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Snapshot and Attachment files can take up a great deal of disk space, depending on the settings for these recordings. Maintaining multiple backups and archives that include these files could be a burden to resources. Clear these options if you wish to save only the data records. |
To include snapshots and attachments:
Check the options for Snapshot and Attachment files:
Copy
snapshot and attachment files during backup/restore:
Check this option to copy 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 this option 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\Spctr_Log\ location 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.
