MIDAS Documentation v4.34

Database Tools

This section contains a number of useful database management and optimization tools, which may be accessed via MIDAS Admin Options → Manage MIDAS → Database → Database Tools.

WARNING: Some of the tools presented here are capable of permanently removing data from your MIDAS. These tools should only be used once you are fully familiar with their actions, and we strongly advise backing up your database before proceeding

TIP: These tools are only available to administrative users with the "Can Manage MIDAS" user permission, however for additional safety, you can remove or disable these tools completely be either removing the "dbtools.pl" file from your server, or blocking access to it

Merge Booking Types

This tool allows you to combine two or more booking types into a single booking type, updating all existing bookings accordingly.

Merge Clients

This tool allows you to combine the bookings & invoices from two or more clients into a single client. For example, if a user adds a new client named "Jo Blogs" and then another user adds the same client but spells it slightly differently as "Jo Bloggs" - these will be seen as two separate clients in MIDAS. The "Merge Clients" tool will allow you to combine these two clients into a single client.

Merge Venues

This tool allows you to combine the bookings from two or more venues into a single venue.

Remove Obsolete Bookings

This tool allows you to remove very old bookings held in your MIDAS, dating back several months or years. Whilst maintaining accurate booking records is important, many organizations don't need to keep track of bookings that took place more than a few years ago. This option allows you to choose to wipe bookings from your MIDAS that are more than either 6 months old, or older than 1-10 years.

Keeping your booking data trimmed by removing old booking data can also increase the performance of MIDAS.

Remove Obsolete Invoices

This tool allows you to remove very old paid-in-full invoices from your MIDAS system, dating back several months or years. Whilst maintaining copies of invoices is important, many organizations don't need to indefinitely retain copies of invoices that were paid many years ago. When removing obsolete invoices, you have the option to retain any references to them from existing bookings.

Removing old invoices can also increase the performance of MIDAS.

Remove Unsent Invoices

This tool allows you to remove all "unsent" invoices from your MIDAS system. An invoice is considered to be "unsent" if it has never been printed and/or been emailed to a client.

Remove Inactive Clients

This tool allows you to "clean up" the client database by removing obsolete clients who haven't had a booking in MIDAS for a long time. You can choose to remove clients with no bookings in the last 6 months, or in the last 1-10 years. You also have the option to retain any clients who still have invoices in the system.

Remove Inactive Users

This tool allows you to "clean up" the user database by removing obsolete user accounts that haven't been logged into MIDAS for a long time. You can choose to remove users who haven't logged in within the last 6 months, or within the last 1-10 years.

Reset Invoice Counter

Each time a new invoice is created in MIDAS, the invoice number counter automatically increments. For instance, if the first invoice created is "MIDAS0001", the next invoice will be "MIDAS0002" and so forth. Occasionally, you may wish to reset these counters back to 1. The "Reset invoice counter" tool allows you to do this for either the regular, deposit, or cancellation invoice or credit note counters.

Note: In order to reset a counter, you will first need to change the corresponding invoice/credit note prefix, or alternatively remove all invoices/credit notes with the current prefix

"Unfinalize" Invoices

Once an invoice has been printed or emailed to the client, MIDAS considers it to be "finalized", and locks its content from further modification. This is to ensure that what's been sent to your client matches the invoice held in your MIDAS system.

The "Unfinalize" Invoices tool allows you to remove this "lock" on a finalized invoice. However, it's important to note that "Unfinalizing" an invoice does not cancel, delete, recall, or revoke it. Instead, when you "Unfanialize" an invoice, its invoice date is removed, allow full editing of the invoice's content again.

WARNING: Care should be taken when "unfinalizing" an invoice, as this may lead to discrepancies between the invoice previously sent to a client, and the current version of the same invoice held in your MIDAS system

Optimize Database

This tool is not available if your MIDAS is "cloud hosted" by us

This tool runs the "OPTIMIZE TABLE" MySQL / MariaDB command on your MIDAS database. This command effectively "defragments" your MIDAS database by reorganizing the physical storage of data. In doing so, it can reduce the amount of storage space and improve overall efficiency of your MIDAS database.

Depending upon the size of your database, this may take several minutes to complete

TIP: Another great way to further improve the efficiency of your database server is to use a 3rd party tool like MySQLTuner

Change Primary User

The Primary User is typically the initial user account that was setup in your MIDAS system. The Primary User cannot be removed, and always has administrative access to be able to "Manage MIDAS" and "Manager Users and Permissions".

If you wish to change the Primary User to a different user account within your MIDAS system, you may do so via the "Change Primary User" tool.

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