Checking the database link integrity
You can check the integrity of the links for a database, that is, whether the data held for links is consistent with that held for the entities at the ends of the links. This wizard reports any problems found with links or the entities they reference and offers to fix those that it can repair.
About this task
Most repairs are safe and non-destructive, but some repairs may involve removing invalid data. You see a list of proposed repairs and you can abandon repairs so that you can inspect suspect data and perhaps recover it by other means.
After repair, you should look at places where the wizard has added entities and links, possibly with blank mandatory fields, and decide how to make these records usable. Eventually, you must repair problems to avoid the possibility of misleading analysis based on faulty data.
Procedure
- Select Tools > Database Administration > Link Integrity Check.
- Log on to the relevant security file but do not open the database that you want to check.
- Select a database from the list. If necessary, select More Files to display a file browser where you can locate the database. Click Next.
- The next page displays a list of any links with problems in one of two required link records. In a properly functioning database, the list should be empty in this and all following pages. If there are problems, turn on the checkbox for each problem that you want the wizard to repair. Click Next.
- The next page displays a list of any links missing attribute information. If there are errors, turn on the checkbox for each attribute error that you want the wizard to repair with blank data, which is the only possible repair. Click Next.
- The next page displays a list of any links missing both of two required link records. If there are problems, turn on the checkbox for each link that you want the wizard to delete, which is the only possible repair. Click Next.
- The next page displays a list of any links using end entity records where the entity record is missing. If there are problems, turn on the checkbox for each entity that you want the wizard to create with blank data, which is the only possible repair. Click Next.
- The next page displays a list of any links appearing to use more than the two end entity records, which is not meaningful. You must make a note of these links and fix the problem by other means. Click Next.
- The last page displays a list of any repairs that you have requested in previous steps. Click Cancel to abandon all repairs or Back if you wish to select a different set of repairs in earlier pages of the wizard. Click Finish to perform the listed repairs.
- The wizard performs the repairs. when it has finished, click Close.