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User's Guide
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DBChecker Utility
The DBChecker Utility is used for maintenance and troubleshooting of the SmartPlant
Instrumentation database. The utility allows you to inspect and maintain data integrity, and to
troubleshoot and resolve various database problems. It is also used to fix inconsistencies that
can occur if enhanced data integrity rules or changes in the data model are applied to legacy data
before and after an upgrade. For example, legacy data may have an allowed NULL value in a
specific database column but an application improvement requires the column value to be NOT
NULL. The DBChecker Utility allows you to detect and fix this type of data integrity problem.
Ongoing improvements are made in the DBChecker Utility itself, just like the enhancements and
improvements in SmartPlant Instrumentation, and the DBChecker Utility of a later version of
SmartPlant Instrumentation can find data legacy problems that were not exposed in previous
versions.
In some cases, mass data transformation operations in SmartPlant Instrumentation require
extensive changes that bypass the business object processing. This is usually done in order to
significantly improve the performance of such data transformation operations, for example,
when running the Merger or Import utilities. Such operations involve record manipulation
directly in the database, rather than through the business objects wrapper and, therefore, might
cause data integrity problems. The DBChecker Utility allows you to troubleshoot these
problems and fix them on the fly.
Also, there are operations, carried out via the program interface, that are extremely sensitive to
the integrity and synchronization of the manipulated data. The DBChecker Utility assists in
preventing failure during such operations.
The DBChecker Utility enables you to predict or fix problems in your database by running
specific SQL commands without having to contact Intergraph Support. You can either fix the
problems on the fly or create a file that contains suggestions for fixing the selected problems.
The DBChecker Utility displays defective rows and problem descriptions so that you can open
SmartPlant Instrumentation and check the issues that the DBChecker Utility found. Also, the
DBChecker Utility allows you to select fixes that you want to implement.
When you start the DBChecker Utility, the software automatically connects to the Admin
schema of the user database defined in the INTOOLS.INI file. Then, you can select a target
domain and perform a database check for that domain. You can only perform a database check
at the domain level. If the domain type is Owner operator, As-Built and all existing projects
are included in a single database check.
When running the DBChecker Utility, if you suspect that execution of certain SQL
commands can damage valuable data, we recommend that you back up your database before
implementing fixes. This is because in certain cases, the SQL commands delete data based on
the known format of the SmartPlant Instrumentation data model and data. In most cases, the
changes are irreversible. If your database contains data that does not comply with the
SmartPlant Instrumentation data model, some changes may lead to unexpected results. The
DBChecker Utility scripts are tested by our certification team, but the tester or script designer
might not be aware of all possible data set combinations that are likely to cause database
problems.
You can check the structures and definitions of your database objects to identify invalid or
missing objects or data inconsistencies. Where problems occur, the DBChecker Utility can also
fix them. The software performs the check by automatically comparing the database objects
with the SmartPlant Instrumentation template database. After checking, the utility generates an
error report and prompts you to correct the errors.
After completion of the database check, the results are stored in the COMPLOG.TXT file,
whose default location is the SmartPlant Instrumentation home folder. You can specify another
location as you require.
The DBChecker Utility is used by the SmartPlant Instrumentation certification
and development teams in the course of certifying a version release.
The history of previous use of the DBChecker Utility and results If the DBChecker
Utility sessions do not indicate any issues with the database, the use frequency should be
decreased.
Consistency of the version Remaining on the same version of SmartPlant Instrumentation
for a prolonged period of time should decrease the need for running the DBChecker Utility
and, therefore, the use frequency should be decreased.
Before you run the DBChecker Utility, you can set the software to check all or only certain
database objects. For details, see the Help topic DBChecker Utility Window (on page 11).
See Also
Check Results Dialog Box (on page 11)
Create a User Log File Without Implementing the Fixes (on page 9)
On completion of the database check, the software creates the files COMPLOG.TXT
and RECREATE.TXT. If database problems are found, the software opens the Check
Results dialog box, where you can analyze the problems and fix suggestions, and select
all or specific problems which you want to fix on the fly or at a later stage. If you
choose to repair the database yourself, it is recommended that you run the DBChecker
Utility once more to verify that all the problems have been fixed.
A L
activities that require database check 5 Log File Descriptions 7
log files 7, 9
C creating without implementing fixes 9
Check Results Dialog Box 12 descriptions 7
Check the Database 8
checking the database 5, 8, 11 O
activities that require database check 5 overview 5
frequency factors 5
objects available for checking 11 P
performing a check 8
complog.txt 7 problems 7, 9, 12
Create a User Log File Without detailed descriptions 12
Implementing the Fixes 9 fixing on the fly 9
log files 7
D
R
database 8, 9
database objects 11 recreate.txt 7
checking 8 recreate_user.txt 7
implementing fixes 9
objects available for checking 11 S
DBChecker Utility 5 SQL commands 12
DBChecker Utility Window 11 fix suggestions 12
problem descriptions 12
E Start the DBChecker Utility 8
errors 7, 9 starting 8
fixing on the fly 9 Summary Dialog Box 12
log files 7
Exit the DBChecker Utility 10 W
exiting 10 windows and dialog boxes 11, 12
Check Results 12
F DBChecker Utility 11
fix suggestions 7, 9, 12 Windows and Dialog Boxes 11
implementing 9
log files 7
SQL sentences 12
I
Implement Fix Suggestions 9
in_templ.db 5