Configuring database maintenance

The Database Maintenance option enables you to manage the Backup Exec database and the Desktop and Laptop Option (DLO) database. Each database maintenance operation is performed independently on each database. The Backup Exec database maintains a record of files and data you have configured such as templates and catalogs.

Database maintenance enables you to perform the following:

Optimize database size
Delete expired data
Save the contents of the database files
Perform a database consistency check

You do not have to select all the options; however, each one performs a different process that enables you to protect and maintain your database. Selecting all the options enables you to recover the database quickly and maintain optimal performance.

Informational alerts are generated at the beginning and the end of the database maintenance process each time database maintenance is performed. The alerts provide details about the type of maintenance that was performed on each database and the amount of time the maintenance took to complete. If the database maintenance process fails, the alert indicates where the failure occurred and the reason for the failure.

To configure database maintenance

On the Tools menu, click Options.
Under Settings, click Database Maintenance.

Select the appropriate options as follows, and then click OK:

Enable Backup Exec database maintenance	Select this check box to activate the database maintenance process.
Last time maintenance was performed	The date and time the last database maintenance was performed.
Perform database maintenance at	Enter the time you want to perform database maintenance. All the maintenance will occur once a day at the time you specify.
Delete aged data	Select this check box to activate the deletion of expired job history, job logs, alert history, and reports from the Backup Exec database after the specified number of days have passed. For the Desktop and Laptop Option (DLO) database, only the Alert History setting applies. DLO does not have job history, job logs, or reports.
Keep job history for data on media that have current overwrite protection periods	Select this option to keep all job history data for any media that currently has an overwrite protection policy assigned to it. After a media's overwrite protection policy expires, the media's job history data can be deleted.
Keep job history for specified number of days	Enter the number of days to keep job history data in the database before it is deleted. Job history data includes summary statistics for a job and details about media, devices and backup sets used to process the job.
Job logs	Enter the number of days to keep job logs in the database before they are deleted. Job logs includes detailed information about the job.
Alert history	Enter the number of days to keep alert history data in the database before it is deleted. Alert history data includes property and response information for the alert.
Reports	Enter the number of days to keep report data in the database before it is deleted. Report data includes property information about report jobs that were generated. The report itself is not deleted.
Audit logs	Enter the number of days to keep audit log data in the database before it is deleted. Audit logs include information that you have selected about operations that are performed in Backup Exec. See Audit logs.
Perform database consistency check	Select this check box to check the logical and physical consistency of the data in the database. The option is not checked by default, but it is recommended that you run a consistency check periodically at a time when there is minimal activity from Backup Exec.
Save contents of database to the Backup Exec data directory	Select this check box to dump the data contained in the database into the Backup Exec data directory so that the database backup file (BEDB.bak) can be backed up. The dump file will be maintained in the data directory until the next database maintenance process is performed and then this file will be overwritten. Selecting this option enables you to recover the database in the event of failure.
Optimize database size	Select this check box to reorganize fragmented pages and decrease the size of the physical database to 10 percent above what is actually used.