Maintenance

Index

• Update
• Backup
• Restore
• Patch
• Optimise
• Schedule tasks

Database and eBECAS Program Updates

Updates are sent by email

Regularly as a part of the yearly license to run eBECAS, your College will receive an email from Equator IT which will contain links to download files that will enable you to update and upgrade the eBECAS database using BecasDBConfig.exe.

The update email will typically contain 2 download links as well as information about the update.

1. The first link enables you to download the file that contains the update to apply to the database using BecasDBConfig.exe. The file will be called Update_v710.zip or similar. After downloading the zip file, extract the Updates.eit file and replace the old file in the \BEC_DATA folder.

2. After the database upgrade process below is complete, the second link enables you to download the file that contains the new eBECAS.exe, fbclient.dll, msvcr71.dll and ebecas.data files, needed to run the new eBECAS version on all workstations. The file downloaded will be called eBecasv7102.zip or similar. After downloading the zip file extract the files and place them in the shared \BECAS folder (overwrite the existing files)

Update / Upgrade the Database

To upgrade the database, on the server run the program BecasDBConfig.exe from the \BEC_DATA folder.

Go to the Settings page, check you have specified the local connection, and the database you want to upgrade is specified (This will usually already be listed, if not use the browse button to locate the database which ends in .FDB)

Check you have got a connection to the database by pressing the Test button, also check the existing version of the database. No upgrade will occur or is needed to be applied if the first 3 numbers of the version number are the same as the existing version of the database

If you can see the connection is ok and no users are active on the database, then go to the Upgrade option of BecasDBConfig.exe

The option AutoBackup will be automatically selected. With this option selected if the upgrade process fails for any reason, the database will be restored to the original version, prior to the upgrade taking place. If this does happen, take a backup of the database, zip the file and send it to support@ebecas.com where we will diagnose what the problem is.

The database will be backed up automatically

The upgrade instructions will be applied to the database

The upgrade process will complete successfully

When completed, go to the Settings page and press the Test Connection button to verify the database is up to date.

Database Backup

To backup the database, use the program BecasDBConfig.exe

Ideally, use the database server keyboard, mouse and screen. If this is not possible, you can remotely run BecasDBConfig.exe from a workstation, or remote connection. To use BecasDBConfig.exe remotely, you will need to select the remote option and specifiy the database server's computer name. Please take note, the location of the database on the server MUST always be a local drive directly connected to the server, not a mapped drive.

First Test the connection to the database

Go to the settings page and make sure the database is specified. Press the Test button to check that you have a connection. Backups can be taken live with users connected. Firebird is a transaction based database, which means only complete and written database changes are stored in the backup as of the moment the backup is activated. While users can continue to work, as of the moment the backup was started, no further changes will be included and stored and included in the backup.

Backup Screen

Go to the Backup page of BecasDBConfig.exe. The name of the backup file created is automatically filled in with the generated from the database name specified on the settings page and the date and time the backup button is pressed, are included in the name. If you have reason to alter the backup file same you can (please do NOT change the extension used which is .FBK). You can choose to automatically zip the backup file created.

A window will appear showing you the progress of the database backup

Upon successful completion of the backup, the following window appears.

Database Restore

eBECAS database restore is performed by the program BecasDBConfig.exe

Restoring a database can only be performed while eBECAS users are not connected. The best way to ensure that users are not connected is to create and restore to a database name that is not being used by eBECAS.

The way to ensure this is to restore to a new database name, for example. NEWCOLLEGE.FDB

To specify what new database name to create, go to the BecasDBConfig.exe Settings page, and specify the new database name and folder. The folder MUST exist on the SERVER computer. The folder and disk drive MUST be a disk drive directly connected to the server, and cannot be specified as a mapped drive.

Specify the new database name to be created, do not leave the name unchanged and over-write the existing database!

Select the Restore Option

Specify the backup to be used to restore the database from, use the browse button to select the file name

The previously created backup file name is specified to create and Restore the database

Press the Restore button under the file specified. Press yes to confirm the Restore process

The database is created and data loaded into the database

The database is restored and confirmed as created successfully from the backup.

Database Patch

Occasionally Equator IT sends a College a patch, to make changes to the database specifically for your College. The file may be attached to an email or downloaded. The file will start with the name patch and end with eit. The patch file needs to be extracted from the zip file, and placed in the same folder on the server as the program BecasDBConfig.exe

First Test the connection to the database

Go to the settings page and make sure the database is specified. Press the Test button to check that you have a connection.

If you can see the connection is ok and no users are active on the database, then go to the Patch page of BecasDBConfig.exe

Press the patch button to Locate the patch file

The backup will start, then the patch will be applied to the database

Optimization

One of the many advantages of BECAS is the simple process involved in installation, maintenance and keeping the database optimized.

To keep the database working at peak performance it is suggested that at least once per month the database should be backed up and restored - this process automatically re-indexes and re-sorts the database optimally - isn't that simple!

Before Backing up using BecasDBConfig.exe, make sure there are no users connected to the database by pressing the Test button on the settings page.

After you have backed up the database, rename the original database so it will notbe overwritten for example oldjan2007.fdb. Create the new database from the restore using the original database name (the database name created from a restore is specified in BecasDBConfig.exe on the settings page. This means when the new database is created from the restore the database is written with the original database name, so the ebecas.dat will not need to be updated, and the eBECAS.exe users will simply connect to the new database created from the restore with the original name. Press the test button to check the connection and restore has worked fine.

Automatically Schedule Database Tasks

The eBECAS database needs to have BACKUPS scheduled daily and the WEEKLY TASK scheduled once per week. How to schedule these tasks automatically is detailed below.