Would it be possible to provide client tools for running compact (freeing whitespace, upgrading the ODS, etc), fixup and updall in a user friendly GUI type program. The current tools are fine for techies who are comfortable with the command line but the average user probably doesn’t know about these tools and wouldn’t want or know how to use them.I’ve noticed a general trend with more employees working from home and using replicated local copies of their mail files. Inevitably database corruption will occur or their mailfile will need compacting. Providing an easy to use tool for this would be useful.
Subject: GUI for compact already exists
File-Application Properties - Info tab (2nd tab) - Compact button
Subject: That’s not what I meant
OK, the compact button in Properties is a GUI of sorts but it’s not easy to find for end users and it only does compact. What if the local database can’t be compacted because it needs a fixup run on it first?Most users want an icon their their desktop or an obvious button in Notes that repairs/compacts their local mail file.
Subject: End user really should not have to do anything
We’ve had discussions in the DBTEAM about getting rid of the compact button completely in the Notes UI as many user’s push it indiscriminately. This should all be done transparently for the end-user and/or configured via policies… Once a certain amount free space is available, automatically compact and preferably at off hours.
If a database is marked as corrupt, when it is opened fixup is automatically run today.
You could always create shortcuts on the desktop to do both for your end-users if you like or create a single batch file that does both and create a short cut for that… Automatically creating them is just inviting them to click on them and take a performance hit in most cases for no go reason…
Subject: End Users and GUI Tools
John,Let me paint the picture; I work for a SME, 2 years ago we had 140 users in house so mailbox maintenance was centralised. One or two users worked from home.
Today 70% work from home. They work with local replicas of their mail files. Sure, I can maintain their server replicas but I can’t easily maintain their local ones. They need a method of removing white space qand occasionally fixing corrupted mailfiles.
Like most car drivers today they can drive the car and put petrol in it but don’t ask them to do maintenance that might require technical skill. They don’t have those skills - they’re not necessary for operation of the car. Likewise
my users don’t know about the command line nor do they want to know, most of them couldn’t even find the database properies box and desktop batch tools are really just command line tools dressed up a bit.
Gary