Flowlink 5.1 Software Instruction Manual - Isco

Isco Flowlink 5.1 ® Software
• Periodically Archive the Database to remove data no
longer needed.
Sorting Data
Defragment the
Database
Backup the
Database
Archive the
Database
To keep a large number of sites in the database, it is often best to
group multiple sites in folders in the same way files are kept in
directories. Creating folders in the workspace to sort the sites
will make them easier to locate.
1. Highlight the parent-level folder labeled “Sites.”
2. Select Item>Create Folder. Flowlink adds an empty
folder under Sites.
3. Name the folder.
4. You can position the new folder anywhere in the
workspace under Sites. It does not need to be in
alphanumeric order. To move the folder, click and drag.
5. Click and drag sites to the folder.
Folders can also be used to sort Graphs and Tables.
Defragmenting an .MDB database keeps the internal structure
of the data intact while minimizing the database file size.
Flowlink can automatically defragment the database by allowing
it to perform database maintenance at regular intervals.
Periodically, you may want to backup the database, should data
recovery ever become necessary. Flowlink allows you to backup
the current database using the Database>Backup… menu
command. The backup saves the sites and site data, graphs and
tables, and schedules. You can schedule a backup to be performed
at regular intervals.
When running a backup, you specify the destination (removable
media, network drives, recordable CDs, 3.5" diskettes) and
Flowlink saves the database in a compressed .ZIP file. Flowlink
can restore the database from this backup file.
As you continue to retrieve data from sites, the file size of the
database continues to grow to hold the data. Archiving lets you
remove data from the database that is no longer needed. For
example, if you analyze the data to produce just weekly and
monthly graphs, the previous month of data is no longer needed
in the database. Archiving the data at regular intervals will
greatly reduce the need for storage space.
Archives are not the same as backups. An archive only stores the
sites and the site data, whereas a backup will include the graphs,
tables, and schedules.
Archiving the database lets you specify the date range or date of
interrogation to pull from the database. Archives can be saved as
an .MDB file, an ADFM ensemble data file, or a compressed .ZIP
file. .MDB files can be opened directly in Flowlink; reopen
compressed files with the Restore from Archive menu command.
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