1 Reply by BDeed

  • BDeed
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  • From: Bolton
  • Registered: 01-03-2011
  • Posts: 451

Re: Import Wizard Errors

I am having some problems trying to import data using the R6 import wizard, a spreadsheet of just short of 40,000 'records' there are no problems up until the point i do the actual import (the final stage), the original .xls spreadsheet crashed repeatedly at this same point, i tried cutting the numbers of records down but this made no difference.

I also tried altering the spreadsheet and importing it as a .csv this still crashed at the same point though with a subtly different error message, if anyone is able to help i can provide both error messages and the spreadsheet. Any help would be much appreciated.

Natural History & Biodiversity Data Enthusiast

2 Reply by sallyrankin

  • sallyrankin
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  • Registered: 07-04-2006
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Re: Import Wizard Errors

Did you try cutting the file in half and importing both halves? If so, did the error occur in both imports? If it only occurred in one it will probably be a data problem in which case you need to continue cutting the file that generates the error in half and importing it until the problem can be identified. If you can go part way down this track it would be helpful. If you can send me the smallest file you have that generates the error and details of the error message I will see if I can reproduce the problem on one of my systems. What versions of Recorder 6, Windows, SQL Server  and Excel are you using?

Sally Rankin, JNCC Recorder Approved Expert
E-mail: s.rankin@btinternet.com
Telephone: 01491 578633
Mobile: 07941 207687

3 Reply by burkmarr

  • burkmarr
  • burkmarr
  • FSC BioLinks Digital Development Officer
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  • From: Preston Montford
  • Registered: 14-05-2006
  • Posts: 105

Re: Import Wizard Errors

Hi Sally - thanks for this. I can confirm that Ben did try all this and the results were very unpredictable.

In the end a more helpful error message that I got when I was attempting a different task led us to the root of both problems which was that the primary file for NBNData in SQL Server was full. This was a surprise to me because our SQL Server was configured to increase the size of the primary file automatically without limit, but for some reason - which I still don't understand - it didn't do it automatically. I changed it manually and both our problems were solved.

As a point of interest, we are running SQL Server Express 2008 and it was only when I tried to increase the size of the primary database file to 5GB that I found out that there is a limit of about 4GB for SQL Server Express. But I don't think that we will come up against that limit for a few years.

Richard Burkmar
Biodiversity Project Officer
Field Studies Council

burkmarr's Website

4 Reply by stevemcbill

  • stevemcbill
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  • From: Runcorn, Cheshire
  • Registered: 21-11-2006
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Re: Import Wizard Errors

Interesting Richard - thanks for highlighting this issue - it seems no time at all since the move of Recorder-6 onto a SQL Server platform was made to get around the 1Gb file limit in Access.

rECOrd is fast approaching the 2 million record mark and our SQL Server version of Recorder-6 already has a database file size of 2.5Gb.  This means that there is every possibility we will hit the file size limit of 4Gb mentioned by Richard (above) within the next 5 years !!!

I must admit to being VERY surprised as I seem to remember (sadly no exact recall of whom and where) that I heard that we would be fine for 100's of millions of records following the move of Recorder to SQL Server.

If this approaching file size limit is truly an impending problem (and a couple of other LRC's currently have more data than rECOrd so we are not the only ones with such a potential issue) then perhaps NOW is not too early for the NBN to be looking for a solution in the not too distant future (3 years time perhaps ??). Sourcing funding, rewriting code, testing, etc., etc. will soak that up frighteningly quickly !!

Any comments ??

Steve

Steve J. McWilliam
www.rECOrd-LRC.co.uk
www.stevemcwilliam.co.uk/guitar/

stevemcbill's Website

5 Reply by sallyrankin

  • sallyrankin
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Re: Import Wizard Errors

The free run-time versions of SQL Server have size limits on the databases used with them – see http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=8670#p8670 – but not the full licensed version. If your Recorder 6 database – NBNData_Data.MDF – needs to exceed these then you will need to buy a full SQL Server licence. With a full licence, there are no limits on database size or numbers of users other than the power and capacity of the server. It also has the advantage of enhanced functionality which will benefit many users. There are a number of different licenses for SQL Server, but according to the Network Installation Guide, Recorder itself does not need any of the functionality provided by the more expensive licenses.

When Recorder 6 is first installed using a v6.15.4 DVD, NBNData_Data.MDF is over 1.4 GB because it contains the dictionaries (taxon, biotope and admin areas) and the associated index files. Thus the 2 GB limit for MSDE would soon be a problem for many organisations but the 4 GB limit for SQL Server 2005 Express should keep them going for quite a while. To provide some idea of its capacity, last year, Mike Weideli and I did a Recorder 3 to Recorder 6 data transfer of 1.87 million records which resulted in a 3.34 GB Recorder 6 database, although, capacity will be dependent on the richness of the data stored.

Sally Rankin, JNCC Recorder Approved Expert
E-mail: s.rankin@btinternet.com
Telephone: 01491 578633
Mobile: 07941 207687

6 Reply by stevemcbill

  • stevemcbill
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  • Registered: 21-11-2006
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Re: Import Wizard Errors

Sally,

Many thanks for the information and for the reassurance of a progression path - VERY much appreciated !!

Hope all is well with you.

Cheers.

Steve

Steve J. McWilliam
www.rECOrd-LRC.co.uk
www.stevemcwilliam.co.uk/guitar/

stevemcbill's Website