Database Cleanup Guidelines

Database Cleanup Guidelines

Table of Contents Disclaimer - Skyward Database Cleanup Guidelines... 3 Database Cleanup: Login History... 4 Database Cleanup: User Tracking... 5 Database Cleanup: Attachment Audit... 6 Database Cleanup: Delete Attachments Utility... 7 Database Cleanup: Purge Unused FastTrack Attachments... 8 Database Cleanup: SIF Queues Non-exComm Service... 9 Database Cleanup: Email History... 10 Database Cleanup: SkyBuild Scheduled Exports... 11 Database Cleanup: Future Scheduling... 12 Database Cleanup: Gradebook Score Change History... 13 Database Cleanup: Gradebook Backups... 14 Database Cleanup: Print Queue Maintenance Task Running... 15 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 2

Disclaimer - Skyward Database Cleanup Guidelines Skyward created the database cleanup guidelines as a method for districts to determine data that they may no longer need and provide instructions on how to remove that data. Skyward is in no way responsible for the removal or subsequent restoration of any lost data. The cleanup utilities and instructions are all optional and it is up to the individual customer to determine if data can be purged. Skyward strongly recommends a database backup be taken and set aside before running any database cleanup. This backup should be stored on read only media or moved to an offsite storage and clearly labeled in the event that that this data would need to be restored. Any costs incurred for restoring lost data is the sole responsibility of the customer. Assistance provided by Skyward in restoring lost data is billable using standard Technical Support Hours. Cleanup utilities tend to be hard disk and processor intensive and could potentially slow down your database server while they are running. The utilities in this document should not be run during your peak production hours. 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 3

Database Cleanup: Login History The login history is a record of any attempt to authenticate to the SMS 2.0 database. The default number of days to keep login history is decided by the district. We have seen 99, 180,365 and even 999 as the setting of the empty database when your data was originally converted/created. The Family/Student Access login history can also be maintained by running this utility. The Login History records a purged by the Print Queue Maintenance Scheduled Task so there will no separate task listed in the District Print Queue. The Print Queue Maintenance task checks the number of days parameter each day as it runs. A minimum of 14 days can be set to keep the login history records. 1. Navigate to PS\CA -> District Login History (LH) 2. Select the Purge Options button 3. Enter the number of days to keep Login History Records -> Save Note: If you are making a significant decrease in the number of days you are keeping for the login history we recommend you "step" the number of days down over several days so that the Print Queue Maintenance task doesn't have to purge a large number of historical records all at once. 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 4

Database Cleanup: User Tracking User Tracking is a listing of the programs that were run by what user on what date for how long with additional information for each entry. 1. Navigate to PS\CA\UT to see the listing of entries. You can setup filters or reports to gather info about processes run. The number of days to keep the User Tracking entries is located by choosing the Purge Options button on the right side of the window. 2. Enter the number of days that you want to keep of entries. The Print Queue Maintenance task every night will include this purge option in its processing. > Save. Note: If the number is a high number, such as 999, and you would like to have 30 days of entries saved on a daily basis, Skyward recommends to lower the number by 100 every two days until you get to the 30 days wanted. You do not want to purge from 999 to 30 at one time. 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 5

Database Cleanup: Attachment Audit The attachment audit utility/button generates a report of all the attachments in the system and provides a size grand total at the end. Select sub totals can selected also. A report can also be created by choosing Exceptions to Report checkboxes; file size missing, created by is blank and file size is larger than an indicated size. The Attachment Cleanup Processes section will run in addition to the Attachment Audit report but will not report on what attachments were cleaned up. The Fix File Size if missing will calculate the size of the attachment and write the size of the attachment to the table. The Remove Fast Track Duplicates will delete attachments which are not tied to any Application. This task may want to be run at year end if using FastTrack module. The Orphaned Attachments option was put into place for a programming issue that was in Fast Track (Feb 2009) where it was only deleting SEQ-NBR 1 of the attachment and orphaned the remaining sequence numbers for that blob id. This only needs to be run once for customers who was using FastTrack prior to Feb 2009. 1. Navigate to PS\SA\DM\DV -> Click Attachment Audit button -> Click Add button and choose Report Parameters, if needed. 2. To run the utility click Save and Print. 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 6

Database Cleanup: Delete Attachments Utility The Delete Attachment utility will allow you to delete attachments based on the age of the attachment type or delete pictures of inactive student/staff types. 1. Navigate to PS\SA\SA\UT\DA -> Click Add button and choose the options as shown below. 2. To run the utility click Save and Print. 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 7

Database Cleanup: Purge Unused FastTrack Attachments This utility needs to be ran if you used FastTrack prior to 2010. Originally, there was a copy of an attachment stored for each application. For example, if John Doe had five (5) applications and uploaded a resume attachment, a copy of that resume would have been saved for each one of those five (5) applications, even though it was technically the same document. This was done to ensure proper history of the application. Part of the FastTrack program re-write was to eliminate this redundancy. Applications are now stored under an applicant "Profile", and attachments are part of the Profile, not each application. A Profile is only allowed to have one "current" attachment type. In John's example, he would now have one resume document that was used by all of his five (5) applications. If he were to upload a new version of his resume, the old one would be overwritten, so to only have one resume attachment. In order to maintain a proper historical record, we now create a historical "snapshot" record when an application is assigned a "locked" status by HR. For example, John now has five (5) applications that are using one resume attachment. He submits one of the applications and HR assigns it a 200 status, which is locked to prevent the applicant from making changes. At this time we create a history record that tells us THIS application was using THIS resume at the time it was locked. 1. Navigate to PS\CA\TO\FP Fix Program -> Click Add 2. Program Name: rapplutil003.w 3. Description: FastTrack Duplicate Attachment Utility 4. Popup Width: 1024 5. Pop Height: 600 6. 7. Click the Save Button -> Click Run -> Click Run again to start the utility. If the report shows duplicate/unused attachments,, uncheck the Run Report Only and run it again to remove the duplicates/unused attachments in FastTrack. 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 8

Database Cleanup: SIF Queues Non-exComm Service Your district may not be setup to use SIF so the SIF queues should be empty. 1. Navigate to PS\SA\SM\QO -> Choose Delete All button 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 9

Database Cleanup: Email History Emails processed from the SMS 2.0 database will remain being a part of the database unless you purge them from the database. If a purge has never been run and you have been a customer for 15 years, then 15 years of emails remain in the database. Purge processes can be setup for all statuses of emails, Error, Pending, Sending and Unsent. 1. Navigate to PS\SA\SA\EH -> Choose Purge Emails button. 2. Select the status type checkbox(es) to choose what emails to purge. 3. Select by date range and enter the date range desired or by date and enter the number of days to keep. 4. Click Run to purge the emails. Some customers set by day, run the task once and then set as a Scheduled Tasks to maintain xx of days of emails in the Email History listing. 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 10

Database Cleanup: SkyBuild Scheduled Exports SkyBuild allows defining exports of various student related data, usually for use with other data systems. One of the options in setting up the export is Save Exported Files in Database to View through the Export File Viewer. This option stores the entire contents of the data exported in a file, in the database. If such a process is scheduled then the file is typically saved to a UNC or network path and saving a copy of the file in the database may not be necessary. By storing such exports that are often auto-scheduled to run multiple times per day/week/month/year may add significant size to the database. Decide if you truly need a copy of the data stored each time. If you don t wish to retain the files in the database then you should set up mass delete of exported files in the database. 1. Navigate to WS\AD\SB\EX\FV -> Mass Delete -> Add 2. This template can be set up to delete files which are x number of days old. For example; it could be set to clear all old data 10 days or older like the example below. 3. Click Save and Run to run the cleanup utility 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 11

Database Cleanup: Future Scheduling Each time you run the utility to unschedule student classes, a record will be created showing the date that the utility was ru as well as other Future Scheduling information. The list can become quite long and searching for a particular transaction can become quite cumbersome. Purging some or all the runs will make it easier and less time consuming to locate transactions. Navigate to WS\OF\FS\SS\PS\UT -> Purge Historical Unscheduled Runs (PH) Each time a scheduling run is performed in an entity, the run records can be viewed and analyzed by users within that entity. This utility removes the record of the scheduling run from the database. This is typically used by schools who decide they no longer need to refer to scheduling runs done in previous school years. Other schools may choose to retain this data because they find it useful to refer to. 1. Navigate to WS\OF\FS\SS\PS\UT -> Purge Schedule Generation Data (PS) Do NOT select the next school year data. 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 12

Database Cleanup: Gradebook Score Change History The Mass Delete Score Change History utility will delete prior year assignment and event score history change requests. The utility does not delete the actual score recorded, bu the record of the change. The utility can only be run for historical school years. The more years that are chosen the longer the process runs. You may want to choose one year and run the process; the next day choose another year and run the process repeating this timeline until all years are deleted. 1. Navigate to WS\EA\GB\PS\UT -> Mass Delete Score Change History 2. Select the School Year(s) to delete and click the Mass Delete Selected Button 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 13

Database Cleanup: Gradebook Backups Gradebook backups can be set up to be permanent or created and maintained on a rolling cycle. Gradebook backup are a part of the database and are inquiry only. No teacher s gradebood can be restored from the gradebook backup. You can choose to create one bakup and indicate if permanent or be part of the rotation of number to be kept cycle. You can choose to delete a specific gradebook backup and it will be deleted during the running of the nightly Gradebook Backup Processing task. You may want to verify that this task has been activated and is running successfully. Delete a specific Gradebook Backup 1. Navigate to WS\EA\GB\PS\CF -> GradeBook Backup. 2. Highlight any unneeded GradeBook backups and click the Delete Button Verify the Gradebook Backup Processing Scheduled Task if active and running successfully. Navigate to PS\SA\PQ\ST Scheduled Tasks > Highlight the Gradebook Backup Processing task Is the Status Active? If not Active, choose Edit button on right side of page. > Choose Active radio button > Save If active, click arrow on left side of task name to view Process History. 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 14

Database Cleanup: Print Queue Maintenance Task Running Each Print Queue entry is an attachment to the Skyward database and if not maintained, the database attachment table will grow. There is a Web Scheduled Task that runs nightly at 10PM to clean up the District Print Queue leaving only the number of day s entries that you set. The Number of Days setting is entered via the Web menu path PS/SA/PQ/RC. This process also maintains the number of days to keep entries for items such as, Login History, User Tracking and Gradebook Score Change History. The Print Queue Maintenance Task is listed in the Scheduled Tasks listing; Menu path PS/SA/PQ/ST. This default task is setup to assist in keeping the District Print Queue clean with only current files. The task is set to run at 10pm. To check to see if this process is running successfully, click the down arrow to the left of the Task Description. There is an area that displays Process History. If there is no Process History listed, choose Run Now button. The screen will display that the process has been added to the queue. 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 15

Once the Task completes, you will see the results in the Process History listing of the Print Queue Maintenance Task. Now that the task has run once, check to see tomorrow if the task ran automatically. If the Task does not run automatically at 10pm, you should edit the time the Task runs by changing the time by 5 minutes, from 10:00pm to 10:05pm. To edit the task s run time, choose the Edit button of the Print Queue Maintenance Task and change the *Start Time: and save the record. 05.31.2017 Skyward, Inc. P a g e 16