By Wally Johnson
Updated on 1/31/2005

Technical Note Summary:

This document was written to provide instructions on when and how to run the rebuild utility in Alexandria.

In order to properly maintain the Alexandria database, a rebuild should be run monthly. A rebuild may only be initiated from the data station (sometimes called the server). The one exception to this rule is Advanced Web which allows users to start a rebuild from a web browser on any machine which can contact the data station.

From the data station, go to File and then Utilities. Change the Utility Type to Database; the default Operation will be Rebuild. Click on Run to start the rebuild (Image 1). If prompted, please perform an archive. As with all utilities, an archive or a backup of the Data folder should be completed prior to performing the operation. Instructions on how to perform a backup are available in the Alexandria User's Manual or at the following websites:

Technical Note T0016 – Creating a Backup of Alexandria's Data for Windows Users

Technical Note T0017 - Creating a Backup of Alexandria's Data for Macintosh Users

Image 1 – Utilities window, Database - Rebuild.

Once a rebuild has been initiated it cannot be paused or stopped. If Alexandria should close for any reason (due to power outage, for example), then the data may be damaged and must be replaced with data from a backup or archive.

Prior versions of Alexandria required additional utilities such as verifies to be run. Alexandria v5 requires only rebuilds and a sufficient backup system. Verifies should only be performed under the supervision of Technical Support. In Alexandria v5, the verify utilities perform specific operations that need not be run on a regular basis. The rebuild is a complete utility, and is much safer to run than the verify utilities. If there is a problem in the database, the rebuild is more likely to repair the issue, whereas the verify utilities may simply remove the damaged elements.

If a database anomaly occurs, it is a good idea to run a rebuild. Occasionally the rebuild will remove data in which a problem is found. In such cases, records can be lost. Since these records were corrupt, they were already unusable and must be removed to preserve the database.

In order to monitor the database, it may be helpful to run a System Analysis report before and after the rebuild. To run the System Analysis report, go to Reports, and then Special Reports. Under Report Name choose System Analysis and click on Print (Image 2).

Image 2 – Special Reports – System Analysis.

At the bottom of the System Analysis Report, there is a list of record counts, including the number of patrons, item titles, item copies, and transactions (Image 3). If any of these values changes by more than a few numbers after a rebuild, it is likely that there was a problem in the database. Contact Technical Support immediately. In most cases, recovery from the last good backup or archive will be necessary.

Image 3 – System Analysis.

If Alexandria closes abnormally, due to a crash, power outage, or if the machine was shut down without exiting the program first, then the next time Alexandria is launched a dialog will appear stating, "Some of your data files must be rebuilt, because they were either not closed properly or a problem was detected. This can be a lengthy process. Do you want to rebuild now?" (Image 4). In order to enter Alexandria, the rebuild must be completed. This rebuild will examine and repair the files that were open when Alexandria closed improperly. This rebuild is not a complete rebuild and should not be counted as the monthly rebuild.

Image 4 – Rebuild after a crash.

Occasionally during these rebuilds that occur on start up, Alexandria will quit during the process, and upon launch will start rebuilding and then quit again. Should this occur, it is best to initiate a full rebuild on start up. To initiate a rebuild on start up, launch Alexandria and hold down the "R" and the "B" keys. If the full rebuild has been initiated, a dialog box will appear stating, "You have requested a rebuild of your data. This can be a lengthy process. Do you want to rebuild now?" (Image 5) Select Rebuild.

Image 5 - Rebuild requested on start up.

Additionally, after updating Alexandria, an automatic rebuild may be started the next time Alexandria is opened. This rebuild is not repairing data; rather it is a database update, and should not be counted as the monthly rebuild.

The amount of time a rebuild takes varies greatly from collection to collection. It is impossible to estimate how long a rebuild will take because the variables include number of items, number of patrons, the amount of circulation, the speed of the data station's processor, and the amount of memory available.

In special cases, such as very large or central union databases, it may be necessary to run the rebuild more frequently. Customers with databases that contain more than 50,000 titles or copies should contact Technical Support for special instructions regarding how frequently the rebuild should be run.

Additional information about the rebuild utility may be found in the Alexandria User's Manual. If you have any questions, please contact Technical Support by phone at 1-800-347-4942 or send email to support@companioncorp.com.