[sims] sims ldf file nearly 17 gig

[edie209]

I got in this morning to find my sims.ldf file was nearly 17gig yes you did read that correct now what I would like to know is why does this happen I have got it sorted with a DBshrinker bat file from SCOMIS. But I would just like to know why it happened SCOMIS were anable to answer that question.

[spc-rocket]

Hi,

 

How you got Bromcom system install on your network for e-behaviour or registration (Winfolder)?

 

If this is the case, the ldf file will grow and grow and the only way to shrink it to do a backup using the DBAttach utility provided by Capita.

 

HTH,

 

Ash.

[GrumbleDook]

This is the same for pretty much any 3rd party util that makes frequest read requests of a variety of sections of the DB. the GroupCall Xporter used for Sleuth (and other things) is terrible for this.

[edie209]

Ok we have bromcom so that is the reason thanks guys

[Bromcom_John]

We are hoping that the November release of SIMS will correct the DB Log Growth. Nothing we, as a third party, can do to correct it.

We can however help reduce the frequency it occurs. As the log files are growing in concert with frequency of communication we can try to reduce the frequency of said communication until the problem is fixed and the logging is returned to pre SIMS 7.96 levels.

PM me with your school details and I will get the helpdesk team to take the appropriate action.

[Grommit]

I also have this problem...

 

Our database grew to 80GB..

 

SIMS has a fix and they sent me a patch..

 

The also have the DB Shrink file that works instantly

[PhilNeal]

John, I have asked our partner manager to contact you because Bromcom are using exactly the same calls as our developers but we are not seeing a large growth in the DB. I understand that SQL 2005 records more and the size is to do with the number of calls that are being made to the DB. There is nothing in the November release that addresses a growing log.

[6Foot2]

We recently had a problem with a large database on our SIMS server recently. An EasyTrace database had grown to 26 Gb. It brought the server to a complete halt.

 

An EasyTrace software developer talked me through shrinking and then disconnecting the database in SQL Management server Express. We disconnected it because it was not in use and in theory it should not be increasing in size. Now it is disconnected nobody has complained, so what caused it to grow, and grow so large?

[Bromcom_John]

There is nothing in the November release that addresses a growing log.

 

But there are the new API's that you have implemented on our behalf which should reduce significantly the number of calls required to retrieve the student data (for instance).

Priya and Simon on Third party support have been very helpful and co-operative on this. They are a credit to your team.

[PhilNeal]

Thanks John - now I understand.

[srochford]

The LDF file for a SQL database is the log file - basically, if you turn on logging for the database (look at the properties and check the recovery model - anything but "simple" will do logging to different extents) then every transaction gets logged in there.

 

Reading data should have no effect on the size of the log - unless you're doing some kind of read-auditing.

 

The idea of this is that not only do you have a point-in-time backup of your system but you also have a record of every change made to it since that backup. In the case of a registration system that's probably an entry for each pupil absence/presence etc plus all other changes made.

 

I'm not familiar with SIMS own backup routines but the daily backup process ought to backup the current state of the database; at that point you know all transactions are safely committed to the databse so you can shrink the log - you don't need details of those transactions any longer.

 

If you don't shrink the log then it will continue to grow - nothing is wrong, it's doing what it's designed to do - so you really need to make sure that you have some kind of regular maintenance process which shrinks the logfiles. (Shrinking the database may help but is less likely to be critical unless you're adding and deleting thousands of records)

[eejit]

Should everyone be running the DBshrinker bat mentioned in the first post, on a nightly schedule?

BTW, does it need any services to be stopped while run?