How do I optimize databases for a better performance on the Enterprise Server?

If databases have become "bloated" over the years, optimization may become necessary. This is especially helpful in case of databases that have been initially created in a very old version and upgraded through many different major versions over the years.

1.1 XML Export

The best way of completely cleaning your databases is to export them into the XML format and import your data afterwards into a new file. To do so, please proceed as follows:

• Stop the server service.
• Copy your databases to a local, temporary directory.
• Separately load these old databases in the client DIRECTLY (without active server connection) using your current Password Depot desktop version. For authentication, please use the administrator's password normally used to login to the Server Manager (=the super admin's password).
• Export the database into the XML format (Tools -> Export).
• In the desktop version, create a new, empty database using the *.pswe format (Database -> Database Manager -> Local System -> New Database).
• Import the XML file into the new database (Tools -> Import).
• Make sure that your databases use the same file name and master password (= the administrator's password of the Server Manager)!

• Custom icons. However, you can update/restore your custom icons afterwards by going to Database -> Database Manager -> Properties -> Content. To do so, select the button "Update icons".
• ALL attachments will get lost. Therefore, you should manually convert your attachments as described in point 2 prior to this process if you still want to use them afterwards.

1.2 Other than the XML Export

If you do not want to perform the XML export (for example, because you have too many attachments and do not want to manually convert them into the type of entry "Document"), please proceed as follows:

• Stop the server service.
• Copy your databases to a local, temporary directory.
• Separately load these old databases in the client DIRECTLY (without active server connection) using your current Password Depot desktop version. For authentication, please use the administrator's password normally used to login to the Server Manager (=the super admin's password).
• Click Database -> Save as and save the database to the *.pswe format.
• Optional: Delete all custom icons (Database -> Database Properties -> Content -> Delete icons).
• Optional: Clear the password history (Database -> Database Properties -> Content -> Delete history).
• Finally, at least convert large attachments into the type of entry "Document" as described in point 2.

2. Convert attachments

Delete the attachments from your database and convert them into the type of entry "Document", which is more suitable in this case. To do so, please go to Tools -> Clean-up and uncheck all checkboxes except "With attachments bigger than (KB)". In the box next to this option, enter "1". All the attachments within your database are now displayed. Save them to your local system first and delete them afterwards (from your database). Create a new type of entry called "Document" next and insert the saved attachment there.

Repeat this process until all attachments are available as "Documents".

Especially in case of databases containing many attachments, this clean-up process can significantly improve performance.

3. History

Disable the password history if you do not really need it. To do so, go to Database -> Database Properties -> Content and deactivate the checkbox "Keep history of password changes".

4. Compression

Consider a database compression.

Compression/decompression requires additional time for loading/saving.

We therefore recommend the following:

• For local databases: Do not use compression
• For cloud databases: Use compression
• For Enterprise Server databases: Compression can be useful for large databases. For smaller databases, hardly any performance advantages can be observed.

To enable database compression, go to Database -> Database Properties -> Content and activate the option "Use compression to reduce the database size".