BackUp Utilities program

This utility allows users to manage their Coreflex databases as well as to manage their CFXWMS software and configuration.
 

This is currently installed as a stand-alone program. A separate msi installer installs the program into C:\Program Files\COREflex\Utilities and creates a desktop icon.

 

It consists of Database Utilities and Software and Configuration Utilities.

 

Database Utilities (back to top)

 

When the program is launched it looks at the local ODBC DSN list for a DSN named “CFXWMS”. This ODBC DSN is used to identify the SQL Server instance that the program will use. The program only operates with one SQL Server instance, so it is not possible to backup from one SQL Server and restore to another for example.

 

On first launch, the CFXWMS DSN is used to extract a list of all the COREflex databases in the SQL Instance. A COREflex database is deemed to be one with the table CFXSTATUS

 

NOTE:

After installation you need to create a folder where database backup files can be written to. This folder is called X:\Coreflex_Backup where X: is the drive where the database MDF and LDF files are physically located. This will normally be C: but will not be if the installation has chosen to locate database files on another drive. To identify this drive, right click the CFXWMS database in SQL Management Studio, choose Properties and then review the Files list for the physical file location. This folder must be created on the machine that hosts SQL Server – not necessarily the same PC as the one where this program is located.

 

In order to allow restore and copy from this backup folder, the folder needs to be shared in Windows so that the user of this program has read access.

 

 

 

 

BackUp

 

 

 

This function presents a drop down list of all available COREflex databases. Choose the database that you want to backup and click the Backup button. The backup will run immediately. This creates a full database backup file named

<databasename>_yyyyMMdd_HHmmss.bak

 

You can run a backup while COREflex is being used, but it is not recommended practice because you will not know for certain which source data is included in the backup and which is not. You should run a backup at a known point in the working day (start of day or end of day for example)

 

A database SHRINK command is also run after the backup.

 

NOTE:

The backup file is still located on the same drive as the SQL Server database. It is not copied to another location. Therefore please understand that the COREflex database is still vulnerable if the machine that hosts it has a hardware failure. It is recommended that the backup file be copied to another location on another machine or to a memory stick.

 

The files in the back up folder are not managed by the program. It is the user responsibility to review the backup files at regular intervals and to delete old files. Without user intervention, the disk may become full.

 

 

Restore

 

 

The Restore function allows a database to be restored from a previous backup file. The database is overwritten.

 

MAKE SURE THAT ALL COREFLEX USERS ARE LOGGED OUT OF THE DATABASE BEFORE RUNNING A RESTORE

 

The screen lists all the back up files for the selected database with the most recent back up at the top of the list.

 

If you choose a file that is not the most recent, a warning message is displayed

 

 

Before restore, a confirmation message is displayed:

 

 

Finally, a password must be entered to confirm the restore:

 

 

The password is coreflex

 

 

Create a New COREflex database

 

 

This function creates an empty database with a new name. The name must be unique in this SQL Instance.

 

 

The program looks for the relevant feature files in the Foundation folder to decide whether the database to be created is to be Private or Public Warehouse. If the program cannot determine which database to create, the user is asked to specify the database type.

 

The database is created using one of two scripts that reside in the same folder as this program. These are the typical COREflex database scripts.

 

This function does not add an entry to the COREflex list of available databases, nor does it add a ODBC DSN for the new database.


 

Copy a COREflex database

 

 

With this function you can copy a COREflex database to a new database. This function backs up the source database, creates a new database and then restores the backup to that new database.

 

After you create the database, you must give each PC access to the database by setting up an ODBC connection. You must also add the database to the File - Change Database drop down list in Coreflex. 

 

To add an ODBC connection to your PC for the database you created, refer to the Creating an ODBC portion of the Setting Up an ODBC FAQ.

 

To add the database to the Change Database list, update the System Setting "Change Database: Databases" to include your new database name.

 

For example: if your current setting is CFXWMS|CFXSample and you want to add a database named CFXWMS2, You should change the setting to CXFWMS|CFXSample|CFXWMS2. The pipe '|' is located on the top of the backslash "\" key on your keyboard. To change this setting refer to the Setup - System Configuration screen documentation.

 

Software and Configuration Utilities (back to top)

 

Backup

 

Coreflex must be closed before the backup can be run - an error message is displayed if Coreflex has been left running.

 

This function creates a ZIP file backup of the entire CFXWMS folder and all its sub-folders, EXCLUDING the sub-folder called "Backup" and also excluding all .log files (which tend to be very big).

 

The user can decide the target location of the zip file backup, but this defaults to the Rel folder (alongside the original CFXWMS)

 

The zip file backup is given the name "Rel_2.4.6a_CFXWMS_<pcname>_yy.MM.dd.HH.mm.ss.zip"

 

 

Restore

 

This function is intended to be used to restore a previously backed up software configuration to the same PC or to a different PC - for example if a PC has crashed and it is necessary to recover the latest software from another PC.

 

As with backup, Coreflex must be closed in order for restore to be able to run.

 

If the Restore function detects an existing CFXWMS folder on the PC, then the user is asked if the existing Coreflex installation should be overwritten.

 

 

If YES, then the existing CFXWMS folder is renamed before the restore. The user is given the option to name the saved folder or to accept the default name. The default name includes the date and time.

 

 

Copy

 

The Copy function creates a parallel CFXWMS folder alongside the existing folder ready for upgrade testing. The user can choose a folder name (default is "CFXWMS_Prod")

 

 

 

Email Coreflex Profile

 

This function creates a new folder in the CFXWMS folder called "Profile"

 

Inside folder "Profile" it creates sub-folders called "Foundation", "RFInterface": and "ScanPack" (if these exist in the CFXWMS)

 

The following user configuration files are copied into these folders from their CFXWMS counterparts:

 

SYSTEMSETTINGS_DEFINES.INI

SYSTEMSETTINGS_REPORTS.INI

SYSTEMSETTINGS.INI

*.CST

 

The new Profiles folder is then zipped up into a small zip file on the PC desktop called "COREflexProfile.zip"

 

The default email client program is then launched with the email To: address preset to CustomerSupport@coreflexoffice.com and the Subject line set to "Coreflex Profiles"

 

The email Body includes the PC Name and an instruction for the user to attach the zip file from the desktop.

 

Note : Whilst technically possible to automatically include the attachment, many email clients do not allow this auto-attach for security reasons.