This chapter defines the different maintenance routines that need to be done by the QPR administrator. This chapter does not cover standard database maintenance tasks like backup issues.

The maintenance need depends on the phase of the QPR suite implementation inside the organization. This chapter assumes three different phases. Here are some characteristics of the different phases:

 

Startup phase - The system is just taken into use. Mainly modelers are learning to use the system. Possibly heavy transactions from training usage and test web usage.

 

Modeling phase - Organization starts to implement the scorecard. Some web usage.

 

Steady phase - The measurement model is ready. Usage contains mainly measuring and reporting. Transactions from heavy web usage and data imports.

 

When the log file is checked, it is recommended to make a backup of it and remove it from the log folder. QPR applications can be configured not to restrict the growth of the log file, so taking backup copies helps administration as you do not have to handle text files of very large size.

 

If severe system errors occur, the system writes a vast amount of debug information into a corresponding log file. This information contain the internal state of the system at the time of the error helping QPR to pinpoint the problem. This information cannot be used by users to sort out the problem, but it should be communicated to QPR Customer Care instead. The debug information appears in the following format:

 

<Time>   <Date>   <Product/Component>   <Type (Information/Error/Notification)>   <Thread id>   <Message>

 

where <time> has the format  'hh:nn:ss    zzz'

 

Below is a sample from a log file:

 

15:02:35        3504        02/07/08        UMS        Information        ID:3108        QPR User Management Server started,        version 8.0.9.116