		
34.0	Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

      FAQs
      ----

      The frequently asked questions (FAQs) are divided
      into the following categories to expedite the
      information search:

      34.01  Miscellaneous
      34.02  Backup
      34.03  Restore
      34.04  Copy
      34.05  Move
      34.06  Repair
      34.07  Compact
      34.08  Disk space
      34.09  Renaming files/databases
      34.10  Deleting backup files

34.01	Miscellaneous

	34.01.1	What is meant by "select" (or "selecting")?

     			To mark an item so that a subsequent action
			can be carried out on that item.  You usually
			select an item by clicking it with a mouse
			or pressing a key

			There are a number of screens in the DBmaintMS
			application where the user is expected to "select"
			an object (i.e. a database, a drive, a folder,
			a row in a grid, etc.).

			The typical way to select an object in this
 			application is to click on the object.  One or more
			of the following may happen when an object is
			clicked:

			(1)	The background for the object is shown in
				reverse video.
			(2)	A small dotted line may appear around the
				object.
			(3)	Where the object is a folder, the folder
				icon will show itself to be open (versus
				being closed).

			In some cases objects are selected by a single
			click and in other cases an object is selected
			by double clicking on it.

			Where double clicking is required, this is so
			indicated.

			Care must be exercised to double click where
			double clicking is indicated!!!!

34.02	Backup

	34.02.1	What is encryption?

			This is where information is written to
			disk (the backup file in this scenario)
			in a scrambled up way that prevents
			someone from being able to "read" the
			data that it contains, without using
			the application that created it.

			This is a low level form of one type of
			security.

	34.02.2	Why take backups?

			Following are some of the reasons for
			taking backups:

			(1)	The drive containing the database
				fails and the database is not
				accessible.  Without a backup to
				use to restore to a replacement
				drive, all the business data in
				the database would be lost.

			(2)	Some quantity of data has been
				entered into the database in
				error and the effects of that
				data entered need to be removed
				from the database.  This could
				be accomplished by restoring
				the database to an earlier point
				in time.

			(3)	The database is no longer usable
				(there are many reasons why this
				may be, the most notable due to
				a power failure).

	34.02.3	How can I determine what backup is the most
			current for a database?

			Click the application menu bar item "History".
			The will cascade sub-menu choices, one of which
			is "Backups".

			By clicking the sub-menu choice of "Backups", a
			screen grid will be presented showing all databases
			that have been backed up AND the name and path of
			the backup file that the backup process created for
			each database.  The name and path listed for each
			database is the most current backup for that
			database.

			Refer to the "ReadmeWP.txt" documentation, which
			can be reached from the menu bar choices of
			"Help" and sub-menu choice of "ReadMe", for
			an explanation of how backup files are named
			and maintained by the DBmaintMS application.

	34.02.4	From Access Developers

			I would like to be able to select MULTIPLE .mdb
			(databases) for backup since all my databases are
			written as PAIRED sets:

			1)	As a PROGRAM.MDB containing queries, reports,
				macros, modules, etc.
			2)	And a DATA.MDB containing only tables which
				are LINKED or ATTACHED to the PROGRAM.MDB.

			The backup process supports the use of scripts.

			Each script specifies one or more databases to be
			backed up.

			Create a script which contains the PROGRAM and DATA
			database PAIR (using the DBmaintMS Script Maintenance
			facility).

			The script can then be used to backup the database
			PAIR any time a backup is needed.  Additionally, the
			script to backup the database PAIR can be scheduled
			to execute after normal work hours, if desired.


34.03	Restore

	34.03.1	Which backup file should I use when I
			restore my database?

			Generally, you want to use the most recent
			backup created.  The DBmaintMS application
			defaults to using this backup.

			After the restore successfully completes
			(regardless of which backup is used to perform
			the restore), the database of course does not
			contain any data entries previously made to the
			database that were made subsequent to the backup
			process that created the backup file.  Simply put
			the database is not "current".

			To make the database "current" will require that
			all data or transactions previously processed from
			the point in time the backup was made, up to the
			current point in time will need to be reprocessed
			if you want that data to be reflected in the
			restored database.

34.04	Copy

	34.04.1	Why copy a database?

			(1)	Possibly for training new employees
				on how to use your applications, such
				as invoicing, order entry, payroll, etc.

				This will protect your "production"
				database while new employees become
				familiar with your applications.

			(2)	Developers may want to test changes
				or modifications to applications they
				are developing or maintaining.

34.05	Move

	34.05.1	Why move a database?

			(1)	The drive on which the database is
				currently located is about full and
				moving the database to another drive
				will free up disk space on the current
				drive.

			(2)	A new disk or several new disks have
				been installed and you simply wish
				to move the database to one of the
				new disks.  Maybe the database is
				growing in size and will soon need
				more disk space than the current
				drive has to offer.

			(3)	Where performance improvements can be
				gained by moving the database to a new
				disk drive.

			(4)	The drive the database is on has been
				performing erratically.  Concern exists
				that the drive may fail altogether.

	34.05.2	Why not use the Windows Explorer facility for
			moving database files?

			The database backup history is maintained by
			DBmaintMS to show the new location of the current
			backup file related to the database backup file
			group being moved.
		
			If backup files are moved using the Windows Explorer
			or some other facility, then the backup history which
			shows the location of the current backup file for a
			database is NOT maintained.

34.06	Repair

	34.06.1	Why is the password for a password protected
			database not required when repairing a database?

			The DBmaintMS developer does not know.

34.07	Compact

	34.07.1	Why compact a database?

			The normal maintenance activities do not reclaim
			disk space within the database.  These activities
			include the deleting of data, the changing of
			character string lengths, etc.

			Therefore by compacting a database, it normally
			becomes smaller in size.  This may also increase
			the performance characteristics of the database.

34.08	Disk space

	34.08.1	Are the characteristics of all hard disks
			the same?

			No.  Disks are divided up into "sectors".
			Sector size is 512 characters.

			The number of sectors assigned to a "cluster"
			varies by disk.

			The operating system keeps track of files
			by assigning them to "clusters".

			This is known as "cluster allocation".

			The total number of "sectors" vary between
			different types of disks.

	34.08.2	Why does a database and/or file take up
			more space on one disk than another, even
			though it size in characters (bytes) has
			not changed?

			Please read the immediately preceding FAQ.

			Where you have a file which is 100 characters
			in size assigned to a disk that supports a
			sector size of 512 and one sector is assigned
			to a cluster, the 100 character file will require
			exclusive use of the whole 512 characters (the
			cluster allocation size).

			Where you have a file which is 100 characters
			in size assigned to a disk that supports a
			sector size of 32,768 and one sector is assigned
			to a cluster, the 100 character file will require
			exclusive use of the whole 32,768 characters (the
			cluster allocation size).

34.09	Renaming files/databases

	34.09.1	Why would I want to rename a database?

			(1)	Where a database has been copied and
				you want to clearly distinguish it
				from the copied database by giving it
				a different name.  IMPORTANT - make
				sure to retain the database name extension
				of ".mdb".

				Copied from name	Renamed name
				----------------	------------
				CustMast.mdb		CustTest.mdb
			
34.10	Deleting backup files

	34.10.1	Why would I want to delete backup files?

			To free up disk space being occupied by
			obsolete backup files.

			Refer to the "ReadmeWP.txt" documentation, which
			can be reached from the menu bar choices of
			"Help" and sub-menu choice of "ReadMe", for
			an explanation of how backup files are named
			and maintained by the DBmaintMS application.
