DAVIS FMS DriveRight Database User Manual

DriveRight

Fleet Management Software

Database Selection Guide

Use this guide to help you select the right database to use with your DriveRight Fleet Management Software (FMS), and to help you perform any required database installation procedures before you run DriveRight FMS for the first time. DriveRight FMS supports the following databases:

• Single-User Databases:

• MS Access (Microsoft Access) (all required software included)

• MSDE 2000 (Microsoft Desktop/Data Engine not supported in the Windows Vista or later operating system)

• Multi-User Databases:

• MySQL

• MS SQL Server (Microsoft SQL Server)

• Oracle

When you first run DriveRight FMS, you will be required to select a database to use with the software. Each of the supported databases for DriveRight FMS have their advantages and disadvantages. First, we’ll look at the selection considerations for each of the supported database types. Later in this document we present the installation procedure for each of the databases.

Selection Considerations: Single-User

Review the following considerations for each database and then select the best database for your situation.

MS Access Considerations

Of the supported databases, MS Access is the easiest to install and use.

• There is no additional software to buy if you use MS Access. DriveRight FMS automatically installs all the necessary components when you first run the program.

• MS Access does have limitations to the number of users connected simultaneously to the database, the size of the database, and reliability of the database.

• MS Access is only recommended for installations that have one user.

• Maximum database size for MS Access is 2 gigabytes.

• MS Access is only recommended for small fleets of five vehicles or less. Be aware that if you are logging GPS and vehicle speed data or other CarChip parameter data, the database size increases very rapidly since GPS and vehicle speed data is logged much more frequently than data from the DriveRight console. In such cases, if you decide to go with MS Access database, it is advised to backup your data at least once a month.

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• An MS Access database needs to be compacted on a regular basis to maintain proper performance and prevent the database from becoming too big. Beginning in version 3.9.2, DriveRight FMS will automatically compact the Access database when the user exits. Be aware that it is a good practice to close FMS regularly to allow the Access database to be compacted and repaired.

MSDE Considerations

MSDE stands for Microsoft Desktop/Data Engine, which is a scaled down version of the SQL Server. It is a basic database with Client/Server architecture from Microsoft.

• MSDE works well with a maximum of five simultaneous connections.

• MSDE is also recommended for single-user installations since DriveRight FMS software maintains more than one connection to the database server.

• In contrast to MS Access, MSDE runs as a Windows server. If your computer has performance issues, we recommend MS Access instead of MSDE.

• FMS software versions 3.8 and later are not compatible with MSDE.

Note: In our database performance tests, MS Access performed better than MSDE.

Active Database Size Recommendations

The recommendations displayed in the table below are based on tests and calculations made with these assumptions:

• 10 trips per day per vehicle.

• Trip duration is 1 hour (10 hours driving time per day per vehicle).

• GPS data logged every 10 seconds.

Scenario

No GPS

MSDE

with GPS

Access

with GPS

Multi-User

Database with/with-

out GPS

Number

Vehicles

25 Up to 1 year

100

5 Up to 1 month

10 Up to 1 month

Un-

limited

Active Data

stored in

Database

Up to 9 months

Up to 6 months

3-6 months

Remarks and Recommendations

Backup data once a month for application performance. Using backup options, you can set a maximum of 1 year of data in the active database.

Backup data once a month for application performance. Using backup options, you can set a maximum of 9 months of data in the active database.

Backup data once a month for application performance. Using backup options, you can set a maximum of 6 months of data in the active database.

Backup data every month for application performance. Using backup options you can set a maximum of 1 month of data in the active database.

Backup data every month for application performance. Using the backup options, you can set a maximum of 1 month of data in the active database.

Backup data every month without GPS or once a week with GPS. Using the backup options, you can set a maximum of 6 months data in the active database.

Note: If your fleet size exceeds the scenarios shown, we recommend that you use a multi-user

database. For multi-user databases, theoretically there is no fleet size limit. We recommend that you back up data once a month, keeping only the amount of data required for reporting purposes in the active database, typically 3-6 months.

Selection Considerations: Multi-User

Davis recommends using either MySQL, MS SQL Server, or Oracle if more than one user will be accessing the data at a time, if the fleet has more than five vehicles, or if you are logging GPS data for more than one vehicle.

MySQL, MS SQL Server & Oracle Considerations

MySQL, Oracle and MS SQL Server database servers are very powerful databases, which can support large amounts of data and multiple simultaneous connections with good performance.

• Of these three powerful databases, MySQL is the most economical server. It is by far the easiest to set up and maintain and is also the only multi-user database used by DriveRight FMS that does not require the support of a database administrator. We strongly recommend MySQL for customers with large fleets and potentially large databases that do not already have a license for MS SQL Server or for Oracle.

• In the case of MySQL, most of the maintenance commands will be integrated through the DriveRight FMS software, to eliminate any administrative overhead.

• MS SQL Server is a powerful database server from Microsoft. It is also easy to setup, but MS SQL Server is more expensive than MySQL.

• If you decide to go with MS SQL Server or Oracle, it is assumed that you have IT personnel who have knowledge to maintain these database servers.

• Though Oracle is a common database server among large applications, it is both expensive and difficult to maintain.

• In order to connect to an Oracle server with DriveRight FMS running on multiple machines, Oracle Client software must be installed on each machine. Each installation of Oracle Client software must be individually licensed.

Multi-User Database Server Setup

Follow this sequence when setting up a multi-user database for DriveRight FMS:

1. Server Installation.

2. Client Installation.

3. Database Configuration.

Multi-User Database Client Setup

Follow this sequence when installing DriveRight FMS on a user’s computer:

1. Client Installation.

2. Database Connection.

MS Access Installation

Of all the databases, MS Access is the easiest to setup. DriveRight FMS automatically installs all the required components for this database.

Server Installation

Not applicable. The server is automatically installed if it is selected during DriveRight FMS initial configuration.

Database Configuration

Not applicable. The database is automatically configured if it is selected during DriveRight FMS initial configuration.

Database Connection

Please refer to the “DriveRight Fleet Management Software Getting Started Guide” for DriveRight FMS installation and configuration instructions:

1. When you run DriveRight FMS, the Select Database Type dialog box

displays. Select MS Access and click OK.

A dialog box is displayed with the path in which the database will be created. This defaults to the DriveRight FMS install directory.

2. If you want to change the directory used for the MS Access database, click

Browse and select the desired directory.

3. To finish the database connection, click Connect to Database. DriveRight

FMS creates a new database if the database doesn’t exist, or it connects to the specified database if the database already exists.

4. If the database is empty when you connect, you are prompted to enter the

location name and address to be associated with all data at your location. After entering the location name and address, click Add and the FMS software will start. We recommend that only one user at a time access the MS Access database.

MSDE Installation

The Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (also known as MSDE 2000) is another database option. If using the MSDE Server, MSDE 2000 is required for FMS 3.7.

Server Installation

1. Please refer to Microsoft MSDE installation documentation for instructions on

installing and configuring your MSDE database.

2. Make sure the MSDE Server is running. To do this go to: Start-

>All Programs->Startup->MSDE->Service Manager. Press Start/Continue, the green arrow icon to start MSDE. When MSDE is running, you will see the green indicator in the MSDE icon on the task bar.

Database Configuration

Not applicable. Automatically configured when MSDE is selected during DriveRight FMS initial configuration.

Database Connection

1. When you run DriveRight FMS, the Select Database Type dialog box

displays. Select SQLServer / MSDE and Click OK.

2. The Database Connection dialog box displays with the following fields after

selecting MSDE as your database:

The Database Connection dialog box displays the following fields:

• Server Name — Defaults to the local machine name. You may need to

change this if you do not use the local machine name.

• Database Name — Defaults to DriveRight_MSSQL but can be changed to

any other database running on the server.

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