Maintaining Database Profiles

Database profiles tell MemberTies where to find a particular database, what to call it (the name that appears in the Database dropdown on the Login window), and what license should be used with it, if any.

1	Open the New Database Profile window. This can happen in several ways:

•	From the Login Window, choose (Specify New…) from the database dropdown list.

•	From within MemberTies, choose Tools > Preferences, expand the Database section, choose Profiles, and click New.

Database Name - This is the brief "user friendly" name of the database which will appear in the Database dropdown on the Login window. If your database is for your Skiing Club, a logical profile name would be, "Ski Club". The profile name is simply a convenience. If your database folder name is actually "mt_skiclub_2004", a simple name like "Ski Club" is much nicer to see in the Database list.

Database Folder - This is the name of the database folder, which is where all the files that make up the database are stored. You cannot type in this field -- you must either search for the folder, or create a new database.

•	Search for Existing Database - enables you to identify an existing local or remote database folder, or to convert an old database

•	Create New Database - enables you to create a new database. See Creating a New Database for details.

If you choose to search for an existing database, the Find Database window will open, enabling you to specify whether you have a database from the current version (a folder containing lots of files), from an old version (a single file), or even if you need to connect to a remote database on another computer.

Follow the instructions on the Find Database window, and choose the type of database you need to use. If you choose to search for a database file from a previous version, you will also be prompted to upgrade the database. Just follow the instructions and let the upgrade run.

4	After the database has been identified or created, you can enter your license information before saving the new profile. If you do not have a license, leave these fields blank and the database will function in "shareware mode," allowing a limited number of records but otherwise fully functional.

You can also leave the license fields blank if you have just upgraded from an older version of MemberTies and your license is no longer valid. You may not be allowed to enter new records until you upgrade your license, but your existing data will not be harmed or lost, and you'll be able to open records and see everything normally.

Licensee Name - If you have an existing license, enter the licensee name exactly as it appears on your license.

License Code - If you have a license code, enter it exactly as it appears on your license.

Easy License Entry: If you have an email containing the license information, it contains specific instructions about how to copy the license text from the email message so that it can be easily pasted into these fields. If you are maintaining multiple databases, you can also choose an existing active license by clicking "Choose Existing License". See Using a New License for details.

5	If you are connecting to a database hosted by Myrro International, you will have received special Server Login credentials. These are entered by clicking Advanced and completing the Advanced Profile Settings fields.

Note: Do NOT use these fields if you are running a local database server (i.e., a normal MemberTies installation with a database on your computer) or you will not be able to connect. These settings are only for remote database profiles to servers requiring special connection parameters (such as our hosted database server).

After entering advanced options, click OK to return to the Database Profile window.

6	When you are finished, click OK. The database information will be verified, and the license name and number will be validated if applicable. If everything is correct, the new profile will be added to the list of databases MemberTies knows about.

Note: If you are adding a new profile from the Login window, clicking OK will return you to the login window and the database dropdown list will be updated with the new entry.

1	Choose Tools > Preferences, expand the Database section, and choose Profiles.

2	Select the database profile you want to change, then click Open.

Note: If you are editing a remote database profile (i.e., an IP address/port), a "Change Remote Database" button will be displayed. Clicking it will open the Maintain Remote Database Profile window so you can adjust the address/port information. This is designed to simplify situations where the IP address of the remote computer has changed.

Deleting a database profile has NO EFFECT on the actual database or its current or backup directory. It simply removes all license information and description details about the database. To truly delete the database, see Deleting a Database. If you do not delete the physical database itself, a new empty profile will be created for it the next time you log in, because MemberTies will see that a database exists.

1	Choose Tools > Preferences, expand the Database section, and choose Profiles.

2	Select the database profile you want to delete, then click Delete.

3	You will be prompted to open the Help topic for deleting a database. Choose Yes or No to open the topic before deleting, or cancel to prevent the profile from being deleted at all.