The Edit Event Form
From: Main Menu -- Maintenance

The event scheduler allows you to specify events that are run on a daily or weekly basis. Use this form to specify what you want to do, and how often you want to do it. The primary benefit is that you can perform much needed database maintenance activities regularly and unattended. It is important to Compact and Repair your databases, run Scandisk to keep the disk free of errors, and run the Defragmenter to keep the disk performance optimal.

To run scheduled events, open the Event Monitor form.

NOTE: Move the cursor over the picture of the form. When you see the little hand thingy appear, you can click on the item to get more information!

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Event Type: You add the following types of events:

• Backup database : Backup the database to a time-stamped name. You may want to occasionally delete older backups. You can use the window explorer, and sort the files by type. Shift select the oldest versions. You should probably keep the last 4 backups. Backup databases are used by the Validate and Repair function.
• Close database : Close the database and exit. This does what it says, and requires no further information in the EventData field.
• Compact : Compact/repair a database. You must specify the database (the complete path) to compact and repair; e.g C:\SatTracker\SatTracker.mdb , or C:\SatTracker\Comm.mdb .
• Defrag : Defragment your hard disk. SatTracker assumes that you can run the defragmenter with the following command: "C:\Windows\Defrag.exe C: /n" . If this fails to launch the defragmenter, you can enter the correct path and arguments in the EventData section. SatTracker kills the defragment task after 4 hours whether or not it was complete. NOTE: the /n argument causes the disk defragmenter to run without any user input, and of course C: means defragment drive 'C'.
• Launch a program. Enter the path and arguments for the program you wish to run in the EventData section. The program should be able to run without any user input. You could run scandisk or defrag from here if you wished; but it would not automatically time out.
• Print a report. Enter the name of the report you wish to print in the EventData section.
• issue a Reminder . Enter what you want the message box to say in the EventData section. At the specifed day and time a message box appears with the message you specified, and event processing pauses until you hit "OK".
• run Scandisk . SatTracker assumes you can run scandisk with the following command "c:\Windows\Command\Scandisk.exe /n" . If this fails to run, or you wish to specify the drive to check, you can enter the correct path and arguments in the EventData section. SatTracker kills the scandisk task after 1/2 hour whether or not it was complete. NOTE: then /n causes causes scandisk to run without any user input.
• Trim your databases. SatTracker automatically trims all the tables in your databases. Trimming means removing leading and trailing blanks from any text fields.

The recommended order for database maintenance events is:

1. Scandisk
2. Trim
3. Compact
4. Defrag
5. Close Databases

Event Data: This field contains additional event information. See EventType above.

Day To Run: You can specify the following frequencies:

• A day of week you specify.
• Every day.
• Never (this is so you can keep an event in the list in case in a disabled state).

Event Time: Enter the time you wish the task to be run.

Audit : Check the box if you wish to see if the event ran successfully. To view the results, open the SatTracker : Database window, click on Table, then double click on the EventAudit Table.

Reset Event : Once an event has run, it is disabled until the time to run it comes up again. Click on this button to re-enable the event. This can be useful for testing.

Close: Closes this form.





































Hand Thingy: See? It really works!!



















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Copyright Mathes Future Products, 2000, all rights reserved
Page last updated: Wednesday, July 19, 2000