Freechain errors

[Don Coleman]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nancy Palmquist [mailto:nlp at vss3.com]
> Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2006 5:01 PM
> To: Don Coleman
> Cc: 'filePro Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: Freechain errors
> 
> Don Coleman wrote:
> > I have a client (fP v5.0.13, Windows 2000 & XP Pro. Clients, Windows
> 2000
> > Advanced Server) who is having frequent freechain issues.  Unfortunately
> > they occur most frequently at the worst time of the day, near their
> pickup
> > time for their FEDEX carrier, which is crunch time.  An automatic
> freechain
> > rebuild will occur in one of their *clerk processes and bring their
> system
> > to a halt.  Standard resolution is to have everyone exit fP, kill the
> > automatic freechain rebuild, rebuild the freechain manually, and they
> > continue normally until the next occurrence.  Unfortunately the customer
> > doesn't have the luxury of 5-10 minutes of down time during crunch time
> to
> > have everyone finish their record, exit, execute freechain, and start
> again.
> >
> > Several observations; first the automatic freechain rebuilds seem to
> > increase in frequency the larger this file gets.  For example, this AM I
> > compressed this file (copied the key to a mirrored file key, then ran a
> > process to copy and write the "used" records back to my original file),
> > effectively shrinking the file from 157,000 records to 16,000 records.
> This
> > file would normally grow to a maximum of 40,000 records on any given
> day.
> > All "completed" records are then archived to another file each evening
> after
> > the close of business.  So if I understand freechain correctly, this
> file
> > should never grow larger than the max size of 40,000 records.  However,
> > within a week or 10 days it will be > 100,000 records.  I assume this
> occurs
> > because the application is "taking" new records when there are free
> > (previously deleted) records available.  My understanding of the
> freechain
> > function is it acts as a pointer for the next record to be used.  If
> there
> > are previously deleted records available to be reused they would be
> reused
> > first before the app. takes a new record.
> >
> > As mentioned above, the frequency of the freechain errors increases with
> the
> > file size.  When the file was >150,000 records it was happening at least
> > daily, if not twice daily.  Any suggestions?
> >
> > Don Coleman
> > Donald G. Coleman, Consultant
> > 402 Andrew Circle
> > Indiana, PA 15701
> > dcoleman at dgcreact.com
> > (724) 349-6302
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
> > http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/filepro-list
> >
> >
> Don,
> 
> Does this file use lookup - to move from record to record?  Does it
> start in add mode and then use lookup - to move to a real record?  Are
> there a lot of blank records in the index?
> 
> check that out.
> 
> Let us know.
> 
> Nancy
> 
> --
> Nancy Palmquist 		MOS & filePro Training Available
> Virtual Software Systems	Web Based Training and Consulting
> PHONE: (412) 835-9417		   Web site:  http://www.vss3.com


Nancy:

Yes, this application starts in add records mode and then uses lookup - to
move to the desired record.  Their file may have 40,000+ records and at the
beginning of the day only ~5,000 will be used, the remainder are now "free";
created by an archive process that copies the completed records to a
look-alike mirror file.  I seem to have many more freechain rebuilds taking
place as the file grows.  I'm assuming the file grows because the app. does
not see the "free" records and instead takes/creates new records.  Of course
I may have a complete misunderstanding of the freechain application.

 
Don Coleman
Donald G. Coleman, Consultant
402 Andrew Circle
Indiana, PA 15701
dcoleman at dgcreact.com
(724) 349-6302