The Archive Tool

The Archive tool allows users to export data from the database to a specific location on a hard drive. This article will explain how to use the Archive tool. Note: starting this process before the weekend is highly recommended, as the tool may take several hours to complete.

Requirements:

• User must have Admin access to Software.

Use Case & Limitations

The Archive tool will complete the following tasks:

• Free up space within the database in the form of "slack space," causing the database to stop growing in size until this space has been used.
• Organize the exported data into folders for Projects, Orders and Invoices, Submittals, and Inbox Messages.
• Allow a company to have a backup of historical transaction data independent from the database.

The Archive tool will NOT:

• Delete transactions without backing them up.
• Archive attachment shortcuts as linked files. Instead, shortcuts will be archived as a text file containing the linked path. The shortcut will need to be recreated if the transaction is ever restored in OASIS, as dragging in the text file will not restore the original shortcut. 
• Shrink the database file itself. After completing the archive, users can rebuild the database to remove the slack space created during the archiving process. Please contact OASIS Support before starting this process by calling 501-843-6750 or emailing support@oasissalessoftware.com. We will ensure minimum disk space requirements are met and the process is completed correctly.

Launching the 4G Launcher

Users must use the 4G launcher of OASIS to allocate enough memory for the Archive tool to complete successfully. The 4G launcher is only available with the 64-bit version of OASIS. For assistance with these steps, please contact OASIS Support at 501-843-6750 or support@oasissalessoftware.com

1. Close OASIS and right-click the OASIS icon on the desktop.

2. Select Properties from the drop-down list.

3. On the Shortcut tab, locate the Target field.

4. In the Target field, replace "1G" with "4G." Once completed, the information in the Target field should be as follows:

"C:\Program Files\OASIS273\WindowsOASIS.exe" 4G

5. Click OK.

6. Launch OASIS using the desktop shortcut.

Using the Archive Tool

1. Navigate to the Configuration page.

2. Select Software from the drop-down list.

3. Click Tools, then select Archive from the drop-down list.

4. A new window will appear.

5. On the Settings tab, enter the timeframe in years. Anything not updated or created (see step 6 to change the date to Create Date) within the identified timeframe will be archived. 

6. Check the By Create Date box to identify transactions by Create Date instead of Update Date.

7. Click Select Directory to designate the output location for the archived items.

8. Check the checkboxes for each item you wish to archive.

• In Box Messages- pulls data from the “In Box” application. Note: if you use OASIS to manage certain email accounts, this will archive data from that process. 
• Projects & Quotes- pulls transaction data from the Projects and Quotes pages.
• Orders & Invoices- pulls transaction data from the Orders and Invoices pages. Note: all invoices will be stored in their respective order.

9. Select the action to be taken for transactions after archiving them.

• Will be deleted- once the transaction and its attachments have been archived, they will be deleted from the database.
• Will have attachments only deleted- once archived, only the attachments will be deleted. This option frees up space and allows the transaction to be still included in reports by preserving the historical data.
• Save only- this will copy all transactions from the specified year range, leaving the original data intact in the database.

10. Click Archive. The archive process will begin and may take several hours to complete.

11. A progress bar will appear, indicating that transactions are being archived. For a more detailed view, click the Activity tab. All information on the Activity tab will be logged to a file in the output directory.

12. Click Close when the archiving process is complete. Separate folders for quotes, orders, and messages will appear, and the transactions will be sorted by transaction ID in the specified archive directory.

Recovering Archived Files

To recover a transaction that has been archived, go to the location of the archive and search for the transaction number. The file can be dragged and dropped back into the Software page. Check all boxes in the pop window that appears, then click OK.