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11. What are the automatic database maintenance procedures for: checking or compacting?

KB Crawl works with a Borland Firebird database designed to support very large amounts of data while offering optimum performance.

It is comparable with other tools of similar scope such as SQL Server or Sybase.

The advantage of this database is that it does not require the regular presence and intervention of a database administrator (DBA).

However, it does need a minimum amount of maintenance which is provided by automatic procedures which run every time KB Crawl is opened.

Checking:

This helps avoid possible database file corruption resulting from physical problems with the hard disk (failure following a power outtage, etc.)

A database may be  corrupted to such an extent that KB Crawl can no longer connect to it. In 99% of cases, it can be repaired (in this case, KB Crawl SAS will take care of the maintenance operations).

It should be noted that before becoming totally unusable, the database goes through intermediate stages. Database checking is a way of detecting the slightest sign of corruption and discreetly repairing the database to keep it in good condition.

Compacting:

For technical reasons linked to database performance (notably search speed), the database allocates itself physical space on the hard disk without ever releasing it.

Example: A new document is stored in the database. The database allocates itself hard disk space. Then this page is deleted, however the database file does not decrease in size.

To keep the size of the database in line with the total volume of information stored, the database must be compacted (similar to defragmentation).

During this operation, the database is backed up and then restored in order to be rebuilt.

Every time KB Crawl opens, it checks whether the database size is optimal and, if necessary, it offers to perform a compaction. We recommend you accept, for two reasons:

- it saves space on the hard disk,

- and increases the performance of KB Crawl.