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Flowmaster Database Recovery Facility FAQ


Assuming you have purchased the utility from the library, (select "Run Times" from the sidebar, second item down), then you can simply run FMDBREC from the \STDBO (Back Office System) or \STDPOS (POS System) Dos prompt.

If you have a Windows System we strongly suggest you setup a Windows Shortcut to \STDBO\FMDBREC.EXE for the Back Office System or \STDPOS\FMDBREC.EXE for the POS System.

When you run the utility it will prompt you to confirm that:
a) You have performed a backup of the system
b) That there is enough space available on the hard drive to perform the recovery.
    (This must be at least the size of the existing files with a ".dba" suffix)

The default settings ensure the utility will attempt to recover all data and programs.

The recovery should take only a few minutes unless you have several years trading history recorded.

Unless you get the message "Corruption Detected, Review RECLOG.TXT" you can assume the recovery was successful and use the system as normal.

A comprehensive log is recorded of the recovery, checkout RECLOG.TXT in \STDBO for the Back Office System or \STDPOS for the POS System.



Optional Settings

As mentioned above, the default settings ensure the utility will attempt to recover all data and programs.

Filespec parameter - you can specify which database files to recover, eg /F=* is the default of all *.DBA files, /F=DB* will recover only those databases starting with DB*.DBA (the Data databases in all standard Flowmaster applications).

Log History Parameter - specifying a /K will tell the database recovery utility to keep any previous log(s) and add the new one to the end of the logfile RECLOG.TXT. Default is to retain the latest only.

Note: Parameters must be specified immediately after the utility name with no intervening spaces, eg FMDBREC/K or FMDBREC.EXE/K or FMDBREC/F=DB*/K

For the technically minded...

1. Any files with a .TMP file extension are deleted, these would normally be from a previous unsuccessful run of the recovery utility.
2. The recovery utility loops through all the existing databases (.DBA) matching the requested filespec in the directory recovering them into the same filenames with a .TMP extension.
3. A line is written to the logfile RECLOG.TXT for each database processed showing the number of sectors in the original database and the number actually recovered.
    In addition a line is also written to the log for each store within the database. These lines show the number of records in the original store and the number recovered.
    Any difference in sectors or store records is shown highlighted with asterisks on the right hand side of the report.
    Note: If the number of sectors and/or records is significantly less than the original number we strongly suggest you should restore all data from your latest good backup!
4. The original databases are now deleted.
5. The recovered databases are renamed from .TMP to .DBA to make them operational.
6. A completion message is displayed on the screen. If this is "Corruption Detected, Review RECLOG.TXT" then a restore from your latest good backup may be required. However if only one or two sectors and/or only a few records were lost then the recovery can be assumed to be successful!

For the Flowmaster Developer...

To reorganise your source & compiled files run FMDBREC/F=FL*
This reorganises/recovers your FLTEXT.DBA & FLCOMP.DBA databases (and any other database files starting with FL).