Archiving for GP/CINCH Database Performance Improvement

Easily Reduce the Size & Speed Up Your GP/CINCH database

Greenstone has teamed up with Professional Advantage to improve the speed and size of your databases. Company Data Archive Plus (CDA+) licensed from Professional Advantage provides an easy way to move historical information from your Microsoft Dynamics GP & CINCH ‘live’ company to an ‘archive’ company. An easy-to-use interface allows you to select an archive date as well as the modules you would like to archive.

ALWAYS TAKE SQL COMPANY BACKUPS PRIOR TO ARCHIVING!

Navigate to: Tools >> Utilities >> System >> Company Data Archive

2. Once installed, the PA-Archive window is used to transfer and/or remove data from the ‘Live’ (Originating) company to the ‘Archive’ (Destination) company. Verify you are currently logged into the ‘Archive’ company. Company Data Archive pulls the information from the ‘Live’ company to the ‘Archive’ company.

Both companies must be on the same version of Dynamics GP.

If the ‘Live’ company is running version 2015, but the ‘Archive’ company has not been updated to version 2015, the Dynamics GP Utilities must be run before Company Data Archive can transfer and/or remove data.

If this is your first-time using CINCH/Intellego Software Data Archive and Professional Advantage’s Company Data Archive (PA-CDA), you likely have many years of data you’ll need to archive. However, attempting to archive all data, across all modules, all at one time, will very likely take days to accomplish. For example, you may have 10 years of data in your live company, but you determine it is only necessary to keep the most recent three years in your live company.

It is our recommendation to split this initial archive into several pieces:

Archive just Master Data
Archive one GP/CINCH/Intellego module for just your oldest fiscal year. You may even want to do half years or even quarter years depending on the size of the tables being archived.
Continue archiving by year, half year or quarter year until you have reached your desired cutoff.
Follow this process for all GP/CINCH/Intellego modules.

3. Enter the Archive Date. If you wish to transfer and/or remove General Ledger information, you must choose a date that falls within a historical year. You can transfer only completed historical General Ledger years. Each module is specifically designed to transfer information in the same manner that users would expect information to flow.

4. Mark Print Detail Reports checkbox if you would like a detailed report of all information transferred/removed. We recommend printing the detailed reports to a file or printer to maintain a copy of the data that has been transferred and/or removed.

5. Mark Transfer Master Data checkbox if you would like to transfer all company setup and master data during the archive process. If you are transferring data more than once (i.e. transferring data a month or a quarter at a time), unmarking this check box after the first run will result in a substantial performance gain. Since the master data was just transferred, it does not need to be transferred again so soon.

6. Mark Disable SQL Triggers checkbox to disable the trigger in the archive database. CDA will archive first and then enable the trigger. This applies to master data only. SQL Triggers are often used for additional validation, or to create rows in other tables. By turning them off, those rows in additional tables won’t be created. This option may be paired with the User Defined Tables to move the data without causing the archive process to fail.

7. Mark the corresponding checkboxes for the modules you want to be transferred and/or removed. You have the option of doing a transfer only, a remove only or a combined transfer/remove. If you have not marked the Allow Removal without Transferring checkbox, you will not be able to mark only the Remove option when archiving.

8. When you have marked the options you want, and have entered a cutoff date, click the Process button to start the archive process.