Database Maintenance Options
Introduction
Use the Configuration } Database Maintenance Options node to select and configure the GFI LANguard N.S.S. database backend. The database backend is used to store the results of network security scans.
From the Database Maintenance Options node, you can also configure the database backend maintenance features. For example, you can configure GFI LANguard N.S.S. to automatically delete scan results which are older than a particular age.
If you are using a Microsoft Access database backend, you can also schedule database compaction. Compaction allows you to repair any corrupted data and to delete database records marked for deletion in your database backend.
Configuring your database backend
To configure the database maintenance options, right-click on the Configuration } Database Maintenance Options node and select Properties. This will bring up the database maintenance properties dialog.
Screenshot 56 - The database maintenance properties dialog
The options included in this dialog are accessible through three tabs. These are the:
Selecting your database backend
Use the Change Database tab to specify which database backend will be used to store the saved scan results. Supported database backends include Microsoft Access and Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or higher.
Storing scan results in an Microsoft Access database backend
To store scan results in an Microsoft Access database:
1. Right click on the Configuration } Database Maintenance Options node and select Properties.
2. Select the `Microsoft Access' option
3 Specify the full path (including the file name) of your Microsoft Access database backend.
NOTE 1: If the specified database file does not exist it will be created for you.
NOTE 2: If the specified database file already exists and belongs to a previous version of GFI LANguard N.S.S. the following message is displayed.
Screenshot 57 - Database backend upgrade dialog
Click on Yes to upgrade the existing scan results database to GFI LANguard N.S.S. 7.0.
Click on No to overwrite the existing database.
4. Click on the OK button to save your settings.
Storing scan results in an Microsoft SQL Server database backend
Screenshot 58 - Microsoft SQL Server database backend options
To store scan results in an Microsoft SQL Server database:
1. Right click on the Configuration } Database Maintenance Options node and select Properties.
2. Select the `Microsoft SQL Server' option.
3. Select the SQL Server that will be hosting the database from the provided list of servers discovered on your network.
4. Specify the SQL Server credentials or select the `Use NT authority credentials' option to authenticate to the SQL server using windows account details.
5. Click on OK to save your settings.
NOTE 1: If the specified server and credentials are correct, GFI LANguard N.S.S. will automatically log on to your SQL Server and create the necessary database tables. If the database tables already exist it will re-use them.
NOTE 2: When using NT authority credentials, make sure that GFI LANguard N.S.S. services are running under an account which has both access and administrative privileges on the SQL Server databases.
Database maintenance - manage saved scan results
Screenshot 59 - Database maintenance properties: Managed saved scan results tab
Use the Manage Saved Scan Results tab to maintain your database backend and delete saved scan results which are no longer required. Deletion of non-required saved scan results can be achieved manually as well as automatically through scheduled database maintenance.
During scheduled database maintenance GFI LANguard N.S.S. automatically deletes saved scan results which are older than a specific number of days/weeks or months. You can also configure automated database maintenance to retain only a specific number of recent scan results for every scan target and scan profile.
To manually delete saved scan results, select the particular result(s) and click on the Delete Scan(s) button.
To let GFI LANguard N.S.S. manage database maintenance for you, select one of the following options:
- `Scans which are less than' - Select this option to automatically delete scan results which are older than a specific number of days/weeks or months.
- `Only last' - Select this option to retain only a specific number of recent scan results.
Database maintenance - advanced options
Screenshot 60 - Database Maintenance properties: Advanced tab
Use the Advanced tab to compact and repair an Microsoft Access based database backend.
One of the most important things you can do to improve your database's performance is to regularly repair and compact it. During compaction the database files are reorganized and records that have been marked for deletion are removed. In this way you can regain precious storage space.
During the compaction process, GFI LANguard N.S.S. also repairs corrupted database backend files. Corruption may occur for various reasons. In most cases, a Microsoft Access database gets corrupted when the database is unexpectedly closed before records are saved (for example, due to a power failure, hung up processes, forced reboots, etc.).
Through the Advanced tab, you can:
- Manually repair and compact a Microsoft Access database backend by clicking on the Compact Now button.
- Automate and schedule compaction of the Microsoft Access database backend. In this way, the GFI LANguard attendant service will automatically handle the compaction process for you.
Through the options provided in the Advanced tab, you can specify the frequency at which the scheduled database compaction will take place.
To compact your Microsoft Access database backend once, select the `One time only' option.
To compact your database backend on regular basis (i.e. periodically), select the `Every' option and specify:
1. The frequency in days/weeks or months at which the compact and repair operations will be executed on your database backend.
2. The date and time when the first/next compaction session will take place.
