Time for 1997 Historic Database


Posted January 1998

It’s time once again for many INFONETICS’ customers to be setting up a new historic database. Here we’ll review the concept for you.

Periodically, all computer systems, even an INFONETICS system, need to be purged of old data. This is needed to conserve space, improve speed/access time, and generally clean out old unneeded information that tends to clutter up a database over time. This article describes a technique we’ve developed for archiving data in historic databases.

In past years, we’ve recommended printing off reams of paper reports on obsolete information, then purging it completely out of the system. If fact, we’ve even built a special long-term holding facility for old Orders/Invoices, (the familiar Archive System), to postpone the need to purge these most valuable of information assets from your system.

However, hardware advances over the last few years (large hard drives, and super fast processors), have dramatically lessened the need to purge information. All this extra space and horsepower add up to a system that can manage much more data, and manage it more efficiently at that. Unfortunately, we humans still need to weed out that old data periodically so that we can understand, organize, and manage it better in our minds.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could purge your data, and keep it around both at the same time. Well with our “Historical Database” technique, you can! Each year we can make a complete copy of your database, give it a new name (and login to access it with), and freeze access to it for all eternity. Then, you can purge your active database to your hearts content. You’ll still be able to access the historical database through its separate login, and it will appear exactly as it was on the day we set it aside, even years after the fact.

What does it take to implement this concept? Just give us a call so we can schedule an hour or so of quiet system time. We’ll dial into your system, make an internal copy of your database and give it a new login name of “1997”. Your normal logins will continue to access your active books, which can then be safely purged down to the bare minimum needed. Anytime you need to access the historical books, simply login as “1997”!