MeteoSyn DB Checkup

Overview

The MeteoSyn database update tool performs a checkup of the MeteoSyn database in four phases.

1. Checks your files and database entries for invalid data or data with reduced quality
2. Searching for duplicates in WBV files
3. Searching for duplicates in database-entries
4. Searching for imports and updates

General views

There are three general views.

1. Minimum: The user only sees a small info and interaction panel. This will be the default view if the user is guided to the window. If you click start or the process autostarts the checkup will be performed with the default settings. This is recommended for most cases.
2. Expanded setup: The user can expand the setup view before starting and change the behaviour foreach phase. After the process is started this view is called Details. You will find the summary here.
3. Expert view: This is only visible when the users sets the mode of a phase to Expert. You will see an indepth list of all recommended actions and findings of that phase. As the name suggests this is made for power users who know what they are doing.

Backup

By default each time you start a database checkup a backup will be created. You can then return to that state after the checkup is finished or if you cancel it. There is only one backup which will be overwritten each time you start the process. You can also disable the backup creation if you want to keep an older backup by opening the checkup window and uncheck the ‘backup’ option.

Quarantine

By default, any WBV file that contains erroneous data and is scheduled for deletion is saved in the quarantine folder with a separate info text file containing further information on why the file is scheduled for deletion. The user can manually delete the files in this folder. This permanently deletes the WBV files - unless they are saved in a current backup. You can disable the quarantine function in the options of the database checkup view (details extended). You will find the quarantine folder in the Meteosyn directory. You can access the Meteosyn directory via the “Open folder” button in the “Options” tab of MeteoSyn.

Reset

A reset sets your database to the originally delivered status. You can always start the checkup process with a database reset if you enable the ‘Reset’ option before starting. You can also reset your database if you click on the button in the MeteoSyn/Options panel. After the reset you’ll be asked if you want to start a checkup. This is recommended because your custom user files are not in the database anymore after a reset.

Setup modes

There are five setup modes which can be set up by clicking on the setup button to expand the view before the process starts.

• Skip: Skips the phase. It is good practice to not skip phases as this can lead to undesired results (e.g. updating a duplicate database entry).
• Safe: This mode will only auto-process recommended changes with high confidence.
• Basic: This mode will auto-process recommended changes with medium or high confidence.
• All: This mode will auto-process all recommended changes. Use this mode with caution. Recommendations with low confidence can sometimes lead to undesired results. If you choose this in the last phase all outdated MeteoNorm files in your folder will be imported to the database.
• Expert: This will open the expert view where you can decide case-by-case how to process. The preset of recommended changes is basically the same as in the ‘All’-mode. You can filter the view. It is good practice to double-check recommended changes with low confidence or all findings with low confidence. You can always sett actions to the preset recommendation by clicking ‘Set’ with ‘Recommended’ selected. Clicking ‘Set’ will only apply changes to the currently visible elements.

Summary and report

When the process is finished you will see a summary of all actions made. If the view is collapsed you need to click on ‘+ Details’ to see the summary. You can also export and save the log with all changes made by clicking on the ‘Export report’ button.

Good practice after the checkup

It is good practice to check your database after a checkup is completed. If there are any undesired changes you can restore the old backup and start the Checkup again with different settings.

Expert view

Overview

As the name suggests this mode/view is made for power users who know what they are doing. The expert view has five sections.

1. In the upper left you see the current phase description.
2. Next to it you can change the view or set all actions to a certain value (e.g. ignore).
3. Next to that you find an overview of ‘Findings’, ‘Findings recommended for change’ and ‘Findings selected for change’.
4. On the upper right you see two buttons to open the help or abort the process. If you decide to abort it you will be asked if you want to keep changes made or restore changes via backup.
5. Beneath you will see the main grid where all the findings are listed.

Basic understanding

• Findings: In most cases there are many findings which are not recommended for any change. You may inspect them case-by-case and decide how to proceed them. Most findings have a log with details.
• Recommended: Some findings can be ‘Recommended’ for change. By default the view is set to ‘Recommended’ so you only see findings which are recommended for change. This is set by default when the expert view opens. If the view with the selection “Recommended” remains empty, no finds are suggested for modification. You can also see this again in the overview at the top right: The second line indicates how many finds were proposed for modification (broken down by confidence level).
• Viewmodes: It might be helpful to filter the findings by using different viewmodes. If you choose f.e. ‘Recommended Low Confidence’ then only these findings will be shown.
• Set: You can set all the currently visible findings to a certain action by clicking on ‘Set’. You can always return to the default recommended actions by using ‘Set’ with ‘Recommended’.
• Confidence: This value is referred to the recommended action. If the confidence is high, the recommended action is highly recommended. It is good practice to double-check entries with low confidence.
• Colours: Yellow signals a difference to reference. Green signals an update. Besides that the actions and confidence levels are colored.

Actions

• Ignore: This finding won’t be processed in any way.
• Delete: This file and/or database entry will be deleted.
• Import: This file will be imported. Only possible if not already in the database.
• Update: This database entry will be updated. You can see the updates by expanding the list-entry. You will then see the different findings (f.e. a WBV-file and a database entry). The suggested updates of the database entry are marked green. The differences are marked yellow. Each list-entry has an index. You can see the values of the entries in a dropdown (Index 0 has ‘[0]’ in front of the value) and select them for change. You cannot update files, only database entries.