Last Update: November 03, 2015

System Utilities

Create Sandbox Database

To access: VOTER FOCUS ADMIN > System Utilities > Database Utilities > Create Sandbox Database

This program creates a copy of your Voter Focus database that can be used for training or testing. The Sandbox database does not connect to FVRS, so it can be used regardless of whether FVRS is running and can be recreated whenever the county has the need. See Using Voter Focus without FVRS for a list of the functions you can perform on the Sandbox database.

The name of the Sandbox database is Vr6Sandbox. The program creates Vr6Sandbox by making a copy of a full backup of the production (Vr6) database.

If you have an existing version of the Sandbox database and you want to refresh it with the latest information, simply create the Sandbox database as you did the first time. The existing Sandbox database will be completely replaced.

You will not be able to recreate the Sandbox database if there are users currently using the database.

To create a Sandbox database:

  1. On the server where the backup of the production database was made, ensure that you are using the production database. If not, in the top-right corner of the Console, click the Database drop-down list and select Normal Database.

  2. Go to VOTER FOCUS ADMIN > System Utilities > Database Utilities > Create Sandbox Database.

This brings up a list of-recent backups of the production database with the most-recent one highlighted. You can change to an earlier backup, if there is some reason to not use the most-recent, but typically you will want to use the most-recent one. Below the backup list you'll see the default location where the two files making up the database will be stored when the Sandbox database is created/recreated. Under normal circumstances, you don't need to change this location.

  1. Click Create Database.

If this button is grayed out, it means one or more users is using the Sandbox database. To find out who they are, click Cancel and then click Show Current Usage on the Console to display a list of your databases and the users who are currently on them. Once the Sandbox users have exited Voter Focus or switched to another database, you can repeat this procedure from step 1.

  1. If a Sandbox database already exists on your system, you will be asked to confirm you want to replace it with a new one. Click Yes to start the database-creation process. You'll see a progress bar for a little while and then, when you see the message Success!, you'll know the Sandbox database is ready for use. Click Cancel to finish.

  2. To use the Sandbox database, in the top-right corner of the Console, click the Database drop-down list and select Sandbox Database.