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Version: 3.1.X

Database Maintenance Utilities

ABCD provides a set of utilities based on the CISIS library to maintain the health of your databases. These are accessed via the Administration > Database Maintenance or Utilities menu.

1. Inverted File Generation (Indexing)​

The Inverted File (.cnt, .ifp, .n01, etc.) is the search index. If users report that "a record exists but cannot be found," the index is likely out of sync with the Master File.

Full Generation vs. Update​

  • Update: Adds new records to the index. Usually happens automatically when saving records.
  • Full Generation: Deletes the old index and rebuilds it from scratch using the FST (Field Selection Table).

To perform a Full Generation:

  1. Go to Utilities > Maintenance > Full Inverted File Generation.
  2. Select the database.
  3. Click Execute.
  4. Wait for the process to finish (do not close the window).

2. Unlocking Databases and Records​

ABCD uses a locking mechanism (semaphore) to prevent two users from editing the same data simultaneously. Sometimes, due to browser crashes, power failures, or server restarts, these locks remain active erroneously.

Unlocking a Database (Global Lock)​

If operators see a message like "Database is locked", it means a global administrative process was interrupted.

  1. Go to Utilities > Maintenance > Unlock Database.
  2. Select the database.
  3. Confirm the action.
  4. Technical Action: This deletes the write.lock or exclusive.lock files inside the database data folder.

Unlocking Records (CNTLMFN)​

If a specific record says "Entry locked by operator X", but that operator is not online.

  1. Go to Utilities > Maintenance > Unlock Records.
  2. This runs the ctlmfn utility (Control MFN) to clear the "operator" tag in the record itself (typically stored in the control record).

3. Destructive Operations​

High Risk Area

The following operations involve permanent data loss. Ensure you have a valid backup (ISO file) before proceeding.

Initializing (Clearing) a Database​

Initialize means wiping all data (records) from a database while keeping its structure (FDT, FST, PFT, Worksheets).

  • Use Case: You created a test database, filled it with dummy data, and now want to empty it to start production.
  • Action:
    1. Go to Administration > Database maintenance.
    2. Click Initialize database.
    3. Result: It deletes the .mst (Master File) and .xrf (Cross Reference) files and replaces them with empty ones.

Deleting a Database​

To completely remove a database (including structure, definition files, and data) from the server.

  • Action:
    1. Go to Administration > Database maintenance.
    2. Click Delete database.
    3. Confirm the folder name.
  • Result: The entire folder in /bases/folder_name is removed.
  • Important: You must manually remove the entry from bases.dat afterwards to stop it from appearing in the menu.

4. Troubleshooting Common Errors​

"Effect of Fatal Error"​

If you see this message during a search or save, the Master File (.mst) might be corrupted.

  1. Try running Full Inverted File Generation.
  2. If that fails, try restoring from the latest Backup/ISO.
  3. Advanced users can try the CLI tool mkf to attempt a repair.

"Write Protection"​

If you cannot edit records:

  • Check Permissions: The web server user (e.g., www-data, apache, or IUSR) must have write/modify access to the bases folder.
  • Check Status: Verify if the database status is set to "Read Only" in the dr_path.def file.