KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q250484: How to Use the VIA Compact Utility in MMS

Article: Q250484
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 2.1,2.2
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbtool
Last Modified: 25-NOV-2000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Metadirectory Services, versions 2.1, 2.2 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

The VIA Compact utility is used to defragment the x500.db database, provide
analysis of ASN.1 records, rebuild the relational database from the ASN.1 store,
and to ensure the integrity of the links between Connector Namespace and
Metaverse objects.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Microsoft Metadirectory Services (MMS) contains a metadirectory database called
x500.db, and this is an ASN.1 database. When the VIA Compact utility is run
against the database, the VIA service must be stopped. When the VIA Compact
utility is started, it will make three passes through the directory data. The
first pass ensures the integrity of your ASN.1 database, the second pass
rebuilds the indices and hash database, and the third pass checks the
referential integrity between connector space and metaverse entries. When this
process is finished, the utility will have reclaimed space in the directory,
rebuilt all of the hashed databases, and rebuilt the links between Connector
Namespace and Metaverse objects.

There are four actions available on the VIA Advanced Options tab. These options
dictate the action that will be performed by the VIA Compact utility:

- Verify ASN Database: This action verifies the ASN store (x500.db) and
  attempts to find any invalid records.

- Compact ASN Database: This action compacts the database by renaming the ASN
  store database file x.500.db to x.500.sav, rebuilds the database, and
  corrects any errors.

- Verify Metadirectory Links: This action examines all alias-type links in the
  directory and ensures that all links are valid.

- Restart VIA Server when done: This action restarts the VIA Server when done.
  This permits you to choose to either start VIA as a service, or as a program.
  Select the former when you normally run the server as a Windows NT service,
  or select the latter if you normally run VIA by clicking the server icon on
  your desktop.

The VIA service must be stopped before you run the VIA Compact utility. Also,
prior to running the Compact utility, it may be beneficial to clear the genlog
to accommodate space in a log file. This becomes more important as you increase
the logging level or as the log file size approaches the specified limit.


To Verify Directory Integrity with VIA Compact
----------------------------------------------

1. At a command prompt, type "net stop zoomit server" (without the quotation
  marks), and then press ENTER.

  NOTE: Wait at least 1 minute while MMS shuts down and releases all is
  resources before you proceed to the next step.

2. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Zoomit Directory Services V2, and
  then click Zoomit VIA Compact Utility.

3. In the VIA Compact window, click Advanced.

4. Click to select the "Restart VIA Server when done" check box.

5. The other three actions described above are checked by default; leave them
  checked.

  NOTE: If you are looking for a specific problem, you can enable logging and
  increase the log file size by clicking the Logging tab. You can select a log
  level from 0 to 9. The log file size is set for 1 megabyte (MB) or 1000000
  bytes by default. The only time you may need to be increase the size of the
  log file is when you are increasing the logging level.

6. Click OK, and then click Start.

  NOTE: Various progress messages will be displayed in the Status Messages box
  while the utility is running. You can view the log file at any time during or
  at the completion of the compact process by clicking View Log. If you view
  the log during the compact process you will see only the log entries
  generated up to that point in the process.

Additional query words: viacompact

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbtool 
Technology        : kbMMSSearch kbMMS210 kbMMS220
Version           : :2.1,2.2
Issue type        : kbhowto

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.