How to clone an Alchemy Database

Using an Administrator’s License select File > New Database.

Choose the Definition tab.

Title: Type a database title, which appears in the Tree View pane when the database is open. This is an 80 character alpha-numeric field.

File name: Type a file name for the database. Do not enter a file extension. If you do not want to store the database in the Alchemy program file folder, type the complete path to the alternate lo-cation.

Database file names plus the file extension can contain up to 64 characters with the exception of the following special characters; asterisk *’, forward slash /’, colon :’, semi-colon ;’, question mark ?’, and backward slash \’. Path

names can contain up to 8 nested directories in the path. When you type a path that includes a folder that does not already exist, Alchemy automatically creates the folder. For example, when you type C:\my databases\my really

important databases\first, Alchemy creates any folder or subfolder that does not already exist, adds the extension ALD (Alchemy database Definition) to the file name first, and creates and adds all associated database files to this

location.

CAUTION: To avoid possible problems in an ACMS environment, use the UNC path format when typing a path for the new database.

Note: Once created, database file names cannot be changed. If necessary, however, you can de-lete a database and recreate it.

Clone from: (optional) Type or browse to select the path and file name of a database whose structure you want to copy to the new database. The newly created database will have the same stop list, profile templates, zone OCR templates, fields, indexing methods, lookup tables, security, overlays, folder structure, and database options (database-specific build options and disabled functions while running search). This is useful for databases whose content changes over time, but the structure remains the same.

Password: (optional) Type a password to restrict access to the entire database. CAUTION: When you use a password to restrict access at the database level, you cannot use security groups to restrict access at the folder or document level.

Select OK

Buffer size: The size of the buffer determines how much data is written to the build destination. For maximum efficiency, set the buffer as large as possible to minimize the number of times Alchemy has to merge indexes, and thus minimize the time it takes to build the database. However, you cannot select a buffer size larger than 1.8 GB. Although you set a limit on the buffer size, the buffer will exceed its limit to accommodate the last file added. In other words, Alchemy does not stop copying if the buffer size is exceeded in the middle of a file. For example, if your buffer size is set to 80 MB, and at 79 MB Alchemy begins to copy a 20 MB file, the buffer size temporarily enlarges to 100 MB to accommodate the last file.

For CD recording, if a large buffer size between 500 and 600 MB is not possible, then the ideal buffer size to get as many tracks on a single CD as possible would be numbers that go evenly into 650, the space on a CD (e.g., 95 MB, 190 MB, or 285 MB). When using a 74 min. 650 MB CD-ROM, to ensure that there is enough space for the index files and search program, do not set the buffer more than 600 MB minus the size of the largest file in your database.

Copy files to data containers: Select this option to create a database that contains a copy of each file added to the database. Select this option and the options to copy indexes and the search program to create a self-contained database on disc from which any user can search and retrieve information. To save space on the build destination, do not select this option. If you do not select this option, the database is not a self-contained unit because it only contains pointers to its files. Users must have access to the original source files in order to search for, view, or retrieve information.

When you do not copy files to data containers and have no custom profile fields, then the buffer size is irrelevant (system profile data is stored in the database TOB file and not in the data container file). When you do copy files to data containers and the database contains custom profile fields, then a new profile data container file is created each time the designated buffer size is reached.

Compress data containers: Compression ratios are dependent on file type. Typical compression ratios are 2:1 for word processing and spreadsheet files, and up to 8:1 for ASCII text. Alchemy does not compress files that are already in a compressed format. Assuming an average compression rate of 50%, with Compress data containers selected, you will be able to store approximately twice as much data on disc.

Disable Retrieve: Select this check box to prevent Alchemy Search users from copying files, launching files in their native applications, or retrieving files.

Force Annotations: Select this check box to always display annotations. When you do not select this option, Alchemy Search users have the option to disable the viewing of annotations.

Disable Print: Select this check box to prevent Alchemy Search users from printing documents.

Select OK