M
mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com
I am openly soliciting input of any and all expert "best practices" that can
be employed to avoid corrupting data in the BCM SQL express. 2 times in the
past 2 weeks I have been unable to do db maintenance (defrag & check for
errors) due to an error message that states "Errors were found that cannot be
fixed." To resolve this, I have had to disconnect the dysfunctional BCM db
from my Outlook profile and then create a new BCM db, reconnect, and then do
a restore from my backed up db. All then is well except that I lose all
changes from the most previous back up. This state of affairs makes me a bit
edgy about how often I need to back up and/or how reliable the BCM db will be.
Ironically, my main BCM gripes have always been over features and function
but I have always found BCM to be very stable in the past.
Does anyone know what may have caused these 2 random corruptions? I have not
been doing anything out of the ordinary in my usage of BCM. The only
possible thing that I can think of is that I did clean out several hundred
old contacts recently and have also simplified and reconfigured several
categories. My main request is for a list of definite Dos and Don'ts to
avoid any particular SQL db sensititivities.
In a recent call to MS tech support the rep told me to avoid running the
Outlook pst "Compact Now" function that compresses the pst data file. He
indicated that this can often cause difficulties in the profile to BCM db
connection. When I asked for an alternative he stated that the Windows
defrag utility would compress this equally well. (True or False?)
As I am now backing up my BCM db twice daily (to avoid potential loss from
future possible corruption) I do have one more question. Is it consistently
OK to overwrite the existing db backup file each time or should one create an
entirely separate new back up file with a different dated name and then just
delete the previous older backup db that exists in the backups folder?
Any insightful maintenance tips and wisdom from those more in the know here
would be most appreciated because I need a reliable BCM db with consistent
performance. I am all about strictly adhering to correct preventative
procedures.
-THP
be employed to avoid corrupting data in the BCM SQL express. 2 times in the
past 2 weeks I have been unable to do db maintenance (defrag & check for
errors) due to an error message that states "Errors were found that cannot be
fixed." To resolve this, I have had to disconnect the dysfunctional BCM db
from my Outlook profile and then create a new BCM db, reconnect, and then do
a restore from my backed up db. All then is well except that I lose all
changes from the most previous back up. This state of affairs makes me a bit
edgy about how often I need to back up and/or how reliable the BCM db will be.
Ironically, my main BCM gripes have always been over features and function
but I have always found BCM to be very stable in the past.
Does anyone know what may have caused these 2 random corruptions? I have not
been doing anything out of the ordinary in my usage of BCM. The only
possible thing that I can think of is that I did clean out several hundred
old contacts recently and have also simplified and reconfigured several
categories. My main request is for a list of definite Dos and Don'ts to
avoid any particular SQL db sensititivities.
In a recent call to MS tech support the rep told me to avoid running the
Outlook pst "Compact Now" function that compresses the pst data file. He
indicated that this can often cause difficulties in the profile to BCM db
connection. When I asked for an alternative he stated that the Windows
defrag utility would compress this equally well. (True or False?)
As I am now backing up my BCM db twice daily (to avoid potential loss from
future possible corruption) I do have one more question. Is it consistently
OK to overwrite the existing db backup file each time or should one create an
entirely separate new back up file with a different dated name and then just
delete the previous older backup db that exists in the backups folder?
Any insightful maintenance tips and wisdom from those more in the know here
would be most appreciated because I need a reliable BCM db with consistent
performance. I am all about strictly adhering to correct preventative
procedures.
-THP