Alphacenter Utilities: Installation Guide

AlphaCENTER Utilities
Installation guide
Edition 11.08.2020 for version 2.18.5.173
Copyright © 2020 LLC "Elster Metroniсa"

2 AlphaCENTER Utilities
Contents
Part I Purpose 4
Part II Basic software features 4
Part III Installation and Setup 5

System.....................................................................................................................
requirements 5
Software
.....................................................................................................................
installation 5
After installing
.....................................................................................................................
the software 5
Setup ..................................................................................................................... 5
External
..........................................................................................................................................................
Archiver Requirement 9
Internet
.....................................................................................................................
access setup 10
Part IV Backup and Restore 10

Backup
.....................................................................................................................
types 10
Creating
.....................................................................................................................
a backup copy of the database 12
Restore
.....................................................................................................................
DB from backup 13
Store .....................................................................................................................
Backup 14
Upload
.....................................................................................................................
backup 14
Backup
.....................................................................................................................
automation 14
Recovery
..................................................................................................................... 15
View backup/restore
.....................................................................................................................
logs 17
Part V The remaining features 17

Form .....................................................................................................................
"Collection of diagnostic information" 17
Form .....................................................................................................................
"Network Settings" 18
Form .....................................................................................................................
"AlphaCENTER statistics" 18
Form .....................................................................................................................
"Execute SQL queries" 19
Form .....................................................................................................................
"Delete old data and reindexation" 19
Form "Oracle network settings for working through a
..................................................................................................................... 20
firewall"
Form .....................................................................................................................
"User manager" 20
Form .....................................................................................................................
"Tablespace manager" 21
Form .....................................................................................................................
"Connection Manager" 21
Form .....................................................................................................................
"Extents Manager" 22
Form .....................................................................................................................
"Language choice" 22
Form .....................................................................................................................
"Information about HASP-key 22
Form .....................................................................................................................
"HASP-key manager" 23
Form .....................................................................................................................
"Commercial interval system" 24

3
Contents
3
1 Purpose
The AlphaCENTER Utilities software is designed to create backup copies of the

AlphaCENTER program database, as well as to simplify the execution of various operations
when working with AlphaCENTER software. A simple and intuitive graphical interface makes
the program accessible and easy to use even for novice users of personal computers. Due
to the availability of complete documentation, the program is easy to learn.
Editing a document from 11.08.2020 for the version 2.18.5.173
Technical support: www.alphacenter.ru/global

e-mail: alphacenter@elster.com
2 Basic software features

The main features of the AlphaCENTER Utilities module:
· A simple and visual way to create a hot backup database;
· A simple way to create a cold backup of the entire Oracle database;
· Quick recovery of the database from backup;
· Backup archives to save disk space;
· Automate backup operations by configuring the Windows Schedule service or using
AlphaCENTER Task Manager;
· Possibility of automatic control of communication and settlement servers;
· The ability to use the built-in or external archiver;
· Automatic configuration of Oracle network parameters for the work of AlphaCENTER;
· User Manager - create a new user, change user password;
· Space Manager - various tablespace manipulations, i.e. increasing the size of existing ones
or creating new ones;
· Oracle DB Extents Manager;
· Connection Manager to the Oracle database server;
· Setting the language of system messages for AlphaCENTER;
· HASP key information;
· Transferring AlphaCENTER products from one HASP key to another;
· Automation of the preparation and collection of diagnostic information for transmission
to the technical support service;
· Collecting information about the versions of AlphaCENTER software and the volume of
AlphaCENTER database
· Deletion of obsolete business data from AlphaCENTER database
· Setting the commercial interval of the system

Installation and Setup 5
3 Installation and Setup

3.1 System requirements
Requirements for client computers (user workstations):
Minimum requirements Recommended Requirements

ОС: Windows XP Prof Windows 7 and high
Процессор Pentium IV/Celeron 2000 MHz and Pentium IV 3 GHz and high
: high
Память: Minimum 512 Мб and high 1024 Mb
CD: DVD-ROM DVD-ROM

Диск: 20 Gb 100 Gb
SVGA 1024x768, High Color (16 bit) SVGA 1920x10280, True Color and
Видео:
and high high
System Software Requirements:

The software runs under Windows XP / Server 2003 and higher. To work with the
Oracle database, you need to install the appropriate client software (on your own) or install
the AlphaCENTER client.
ATTENTION! To perform backup or restore operations, it is necessary for the Oracle

database server to be operational. If the DB server failed, and not the database itself, then
you must first restore the server to work (see the “Restore performance” item), then restore
the database from the backup using the AlphaCENTER Utilities program.
3.2 Software installation

Install the CD / DVD with the program into your CD / DVD-ROM drive, run the
ACUtilsSetup.exe program from the AlphaCenter_Utils\ folder and follow the instructions of
the installation program.
3.3 After installing the software

The installer will create the necessary folders and shortcuts. To launch AlphaCENTER
Utilities, select the appropriate shortcut or menu item. To view the User Guide, select the
appropriate shortcut.
3.4 Setup
To set the parameters of the AlphaCENTER Utilities program, select the menu item
Server-> Options .... This form is shown in the figures below. The form consists of the
following tabs:
· Backup - parameters for performing hot and cold backup operations;
· Hot Recovery — Parameters for performing a hot recovery operation;

· Additionally, additional parameters;

· Services - a tab for managing services in the backup and restore process;
· Archiving - a tab for managing data compression processes;
Backup can be of two types - hot and cold. During the hot backup process, data
from the database is downloaded in the background to the specified file (using the
standard export program). At the same time, the database is in full access, i.e. users can
continue to work, but it is not recommended to heavily load the server - to do
recalculations or to conduct an intensive survey of counters or controllers.
In case of cold backup, the Alfa-CENTER Utility module stops Oracle DBMS or Oracle
services, which results in complete unavailability of the database server at the time of
creating the backup. This creates a complete copy of the DBMS, which can be deployed
only on the same configuration of the Windows operating system and the Oracle DBMS.
Cold copy is not intended for migration between versions of Oracle or OS. With a large
database size (about 5-10 GB) it is recommended to use cold backups - the backup is
created much faster. Also, a cold copy can be deployed much faster than a hot one.
To automatically select a backup method, select the checkbox “Automatically select
a database backup method depending on size”. If this check box is selected, the program
will measure the approximate size of the database and, if the data volume is more than 5
GB, then cold backup will be selected, otherwise hot backup will be selected.
For more information about the reservation of Oracle DBMS, you should refer to the
company documentation.
On the “Backup” tab there are the following tabs:
· Hot Spare - setting for hot backup operation;
· Cold Backup — setting for a cold backup operation.
«Hot backup»
· The checkbox “Use hot backup of AlphaCENTER database” - setting this flag turns on the
hot backup mode and turns off the cold backup mode;
· Database connection parameters - database name, user name, password, folder for
Oracle HOME. You must specify these parameters and click the "Test Connection" button
to verify the correctness. CNT user is allowed.
· In the case of a multivariate installation by the client part of Oracle, the program may not
be able to find the executable files necessary to perform data export operations. It is
possible to specify the exact file for export and the “Use first” checkbox, indicating that
the program will first use the file specified by the user;
· The checkbox “Perform table space size correction” indicates that after a successful
backup, the program will analyze the table spaces USERS and INDX, and if they have less
than 25% free space, the program will expand the table spaces so that there is about 25%
free space .
«Cold backup»
Cold backup is a shutdown of the Oracle DBMS and a copy of all the data files
needed for the backup. There are two ways to stop a database server. The first is to stop
only the Oracle DBMS, while the Windows service responsible for the DBMS operation will
continue. The second option is to stop the Windows service. In any case, at the time of

stopping the server, the AlphaCENTER database will be unavailable. It is preferable to use
the first option to stop the database server - stop only the Oracle database server itself.
To stop an Oracle DBMS, you must specify a stop option:
· Usually - the DBMS will be stopped after the last user completes his work, the connection
of new users is prohibited;
· Immediately - Oracle DBMS will be stopped immediately, current operations will be
canceled until the last agreed state, the connection of new users is prohibited;
· Transactional - Oracle DBMS will be stopped after the completion of current operations,
all current operations will be completed until the end and the database is in a consistent
state, the connection of new users is prohibited;
To perform a database shutdown operation, you must use the SYS user (or another
member of the SYSDBA group), you must also specify its password, and when using the
Oracle x64 DBMS, you must specify the Database Name. To check the connection to the
database, click the "Check Connection" button.
It is recommended to stop Oracle DBMS, and not the OS service.
It is also possible to stop the OS service responsible for the operation of the Oracle
DBMS, thus the database itself will be stopped. To do this, you need to specify the OS
service, stopping which will stop the entire database, as well as the OS service, whose launch
will lead to the launch of the entire database (this is relevant only for versions of Oracle 8.0
PE or 8.1 SE, if the Alpha CENTER service is running Oracle Server Run). It is also desirable to
specify the user and his password, which has rights to start and stop Windows services, and
you must specify the reaction time of the service in seconds - the time it takes the service to
completely stop or start is at least 30 seconds.
Using the option “Stop the OS service” is less preferable than the use of the Oracle
DBMS shutdown.
«Горячее восстановление»
The tab "Hot Recovery" has the following options:
· Database connection options - database name, username, password and folder for Oracle
HOME. You must specify these parameters and click the "Test Connection" button to
verify the correctness. Only the user SYSTEM is allowed;
· In case of a multivariate installation by the client part of Oracle, the program may not be
able to find the executable files necessary for performing data import operations. It is
possible to specify the exact file for import and the “Use first” checkbox, indicating that
the program will first use the file specified by the user;
· Checkbox “Restore tablespaces size” - when this box is checked, when restoring the
database from an archive copy, the program will first try to restore the size of the
tablespaces USERS and INDX to the sizes that were when the backup was taken
(information about the size of the tablespaces is collected automatically when backing
up). It is recommended to set the data checkbox;
· The checkbox “Restore CNT user password” - when this check box is selected, after
restoring the AlphaCENTER database from a hot backup, the CNT user will be set a
password that was at the time when the AlphaCENTER database was created.
· The field "Password after recovery" - for the restore operation, you can specify a default
password, i.e. after the recovery operation is completed, the password you set will not be
set by CNT, not. Leave this field blank to set the default password - cnt;

· The checkbox "Restore additional AlphaCENTER users" determines whether the

AlphaCENTER additional users created earlier and saved in the backup will be restored.
The recovery is done with a password that matches the name.
On the Advanced tab, the user can specify the following parameters:
· Number of archive copies - the user can limit the number of archive copies to be created.
This is especially important with automatic copy mode. There is a limit - the number of
archival copies. By default, this restriction is disabled. The program AlphaCENTER Utilities
at the start, end and after the successful creation of an archive copy checks for this
restriction. Excess backup copies are automatically deleted. Be extremely careful when
activating and configuring this restriction.
· Specify the folder to store files -
· AC5 files - the file contains a backup copy (extension .ac5) and is intended for storage on
other media (CD / DVD);
· TMP-files - temporary files required for the application to work (extensions
.tmp, .log, .dmp) are deleted automatically after the operation is completed;
· “Minimize to tray during backup / restore” - determines whether the program will
minimize to tray (about Windows hours) when it is backed up or restored;
The "Services" tab contains parameters for interacting with communication and
accounting servers. The need for interaction is caused by the requirement to stop the survey
and calculations when creating a backup and start them after the backup operation is
completed. The “Services” tab contains two more tabs - for the communication and
accounting server, respectively. The following options are available:
· The checkbox “Manage server” - this flag determines the activity of the entire server
management mechanism;
· Server connection settings - user, password, and computer. To control the server (its
shutdown and start), you must specify:
o The name of the computer on which the server is running, or leave the field blank if the
server is running on the same computer as the AlphaCENTER Utilities module;
o Username - the network name of the user that will allow you to connect to a remote
computer with the rights necessary to stop / start services;
o Password - user password;
· Wait for the service to respond — the time in minutes that the application will wait before
checking the server status;
· The checkbox “Continue operation in case of server failure” - this flag determines whether
the operation will continue if the server did not respond within the allotted time period;
To determine the current status of the server, click "Determine the status of the
server." To fully verify the ability to manage the server, specify all the parameters and click
the "Check server management" button. After that, the application will perform the
following actions:
o It will try to make a network connection to the specified computer using the specified
parameters;
o Check the availability of the appropriate service;
o Determine its current state;
o Will perform operations to stop and start the service;
o If at one of the stages fails, the program will inform the user.

Tab "Archiving" contains parameters for managing the process of archiving the
database dump file. AlphaCENTER Utilities has the following options for processing a
database dump:
· Do not archive - the internal archiver does not compress the required files;
· Use internal archiver - an internal archiver is used, which provides a dump compression
ratio of ~ 1/10. You can set the level of compression. It is recommended to use level 5-7;
· Use external archiver - an external archiver is used (for example, WinRAR) with the
appropriate settings;
To set up an external archiver, you need to specify the full path to it, commands for
archiving / unzipping, and a separate command for unarchiving for cold backup. The
following substitutions are used:
· %SOURCE% - the name of the input file CNT.DMP - is set by the program automatically;
· %LIST% - the name of the input list file, archived files;
· %DEST% - the name of the output file CNT.ARC - is set by the program automatically;
· %TMP% - directory for temporary files - defined on the "Advanced" tab;
· %AC5% - the directory for AC5-files - is defined on the "Advanced" tab;
· %FILENAME% - the name of the file to be extracted from the archive;
· %DESTFOLDER% - destination directory for the extracted file;
If the external archiver changes the name of the output file compared to the% DEST
% parameter, for example, installs the .exe extension instead of .arc, then you need to
specify the postfix - the string that is used to convert the file name as follows: the postfix
string consists of two parts - the left and right, while the separator is the last (right point). In
this case, the left part will be added to the file name, and the right will be used as a new
extension of the output file. For example:
· The name of the input file is CNT.DMP;
· The name of the output file CNT.ARC;
· The external archiver is configured, so it automatically creates an sfx-archive, i.e. output file
extension; exe;
· It turns out that when you call the external archiver, the CNT.DMP file is archived into the
CNT.exe file, not CNT.ARC. For the application to work properly, you must specify the
postfix .exe.
· The checkbox "Show a message about the work of an external archiver". When it is
installed during the operation of the external archiver / unarchiver, a message will be
displayed, stating that the archiver / unarchiver is working.
3.4.1 External Archiver Requirement

External archiver should support:
· archiving using command line parameters;
· archiving to the specified file;
· processing the file-list of archived files;
· overwriting files if they already exist;
· lack of full paths in the archive.
The external unarchiver should support:
· unzipping using command line parameters;
· unzip to the specified file;

· overwrite the file if it already exists;

· extract files one by one from the archive;
· save the file to the specified directory without full paths.
The following macro substitutions can be used:
Parameter Desciption
%SOURCE% Name of input file-list, archived files
%LIST% Name of input file-list, archived files
%DEST% Name of the output (archive) file
%TMP% Directory for temporary files
%AC5% Catalog for ac5-files
%FILENAME% The name of the file extracted from the archive
%DESTFOLDER% Receiver directory for the extracted file
3.5 Internet access setup

The AlphaCENTER Utilities module can inform the user about the availability of a
new version of the application on the technical support site. To do this, you need to specify
the Internet connection settings: the name of the proxy server, the user name, password
and port number for accessing the Internet (usually, 80 or 8080) In the future, the
application will remember these parameters and will not request them as long as it can
access the technical support server. Otherwise, the program will request new parameters.
The form for entering parameters is shown below.
4 Backup and Restore

4.1 Backup types
The AlphaCENTER Utilities module supports two types of redundancy - hot and
cold.
Hot backup - AlphaCENTER data upload during server operation with a special export
program. At the same time, you can continue to work with the server, but you will feel a
significant slowdown in work, since the server itself will be loaded by uploading data. It is
strongly recommended to reduce the load on the database server by stopping the
settlement and communication server, AlphaCENTER users - do not perform manual
polling, recalculate groups, and load data from external sources.
Cold backup - stop the Oracle database server or the OS service responsible for the
operation of the database server and copy all the data files and service files required for the
server operation. At the same time, during backup all users are disconnected from the
database and the server cannot work until the backup is completed.

Backup and Restore 11
Hot backup Cold backup

Require · Availability of export / import · The DBMS user must have DBA privilege or the
ments: programs - exp.exe / imp.exe; OS user must have the right to stop / start
· Established database services;
Alfatssentr;
Limitatio · It is necessary to minimize the · The backup and restore versions of the DBMS
ns: load on the server during the must be the same;
backup;
Pros: · Backup takes up less space; · Reservations are faster;
· When unloading, a check is · All settings, users, roles and other objects of
made to read all AlphaCENTER the entire server are saved;
data; · Recovery is faster;
· The server is available for
operation during the backup;
· Migration between different
server versions is possible;
Minuses: · Backup and restore is slow · Full stop and no access during reservation;
enough; · Migration between different server versions is
· Lost the password of all users not possible;
Alphacenter;
· Recovery requires a large
amount in the TEMP
tablespace;
· Possible incomplete backup /
restore due to errors during
upload / download;
Recomm · Use for Alpha CENTER PE; · Use for PE/SE with a large number of
endation · Use for AlphaCENTER SE counters/AlphaCENTER database size and the
s: version with a small number ability to stop the Oracle database server;
of counters / data (up to 100); · Use when the size of the database
· Use when the size of the AlphaCENTER more than 10 GB;
database AlphaCENTER to 10
GB;
· Use with a small load on the
database server from the side
of users and AlphaCENTER
services;
If you need to organize the server in 7x24 mode (around the clock), you need to
refer to the Oracle Database Server Administration Guide for setting up Archive Log mode
and ensuring redundancy using Oracle's Recovery Manager (RMAN).

4.2 Creating a backup copy of the database

One of the features of the program AlphaCENTER Utilities is to create a backup copy
of the database. Consider the process of creating a backup.
· To create a backup, you need to connect to the source database. To do this, on the
“Service” tab, select the “Parameters” item;
· In the appeared “Parameters” form, it is necessary to choose which backup method will
use Hot Backup or Cold Backup.
· For hot backups, on the “Backup” tab -> “Hot Backup”, you must specify the connection
to the database and other required parameters. For cold backups and recovery from cold
backups, on the “Backup” tab -> “Cold Backup”, you must specify the connection to the
database and other required parameters;
· In the main window, in the "Comment" field, the user can specify a comment for this
backup. You can use the following macro substitutions (framing with% is required, only
capital letters):
%DATE% - current date;
%TIME% - current time;
%NOW% - current date and time;
%USERNAME% - user name in the OS;
· To create a backup, click the “Backup” button. The following actions are performed:
o Testing the ability to create a backup;
o Service management, if appropriate parameters are set;
o With hot backup - export data from the database to a temporary file. This can take quite a
lot of time depending on the amount of data and the current server load, then the
resulting temporary file is archived;
o When cold backup - stop the server or OS service, archiving all the necessary files;
o General backup build, if an external archiver is used;
o Adding a backup copy record to the appropriate table of the Alfa-CENTER Utilities
program;
o The process of exporting and archiving data is quite long and non-linear in time, so when
performing this operation, the indicator is shown to the user.
o All information about the program's actions is shown in the “Protocol” field in the lower
part of the window. You can view backup and restore protocols, as well as save them to a
separate file, by selecting the required backup and clicking the "Protocols" button.
· Upon completion of the backup operation, the user will be notified of the completion of
the reservation.
· After that you need to view the creation protocol. The protocol contains all the
information about the database backup process.
DB Backup operation completed.
All data and information necessary for recovery are stored together in a single file with the
extension AC5. By default, the backup is saved in the \ Files folder. In the future, the user can
copy a specific backup, as well as add a backup file or delete it if it is no longer required.

4.3 Restore DB from backup

Another possibility of the AlphaCENTER Utilities program is to restore the Oracle
database in case of failure or loss of all information. Consider the process of restoring a
database from a backup.
· To restore the database from a backup, you must connect to the database. To do this,
click on the "Options" item on the "Service" tab. In the “Parameters” form that appears on
the “Hot recovery” tab, you need to specify the database connection parameters and
other required parameters if the recovery will be done from a hot backup. If a cold
backup is restored, then the parameters must be set on the tab “Backup” -> “Cold
backup”, specifying the parameters for connecting to the database and other required
parameters;
· In the list of backups, the user needs to select the archive copy that should be used for
recovery based on the data presented on the screen (see the figure above):
o Number and date / time of the archive;
o The name of the backup file (it may contain the date the backup was made);
o Size and type of copy;
o Comment (up to 250 characters from the source text of the comment);
o To view a full commentary on the archive copy, as well as export and import protocols,
click the “Protocols” button. If the import protocol is empty, then the selected archive has
never been used for recovery.
· To restore the database from the backup, click the "Restore from file" button. The
following actions are performed:
o Testing the ability to restore the database from backup;
o Service management, if appropriate parameters are set;
o When restoring from a hot backup:
o Extracting data for import into a temporary file;
o Database preparation for data import:
o deletion of all CNT user data and the user himself, if he exists;
o creating a new CNT user;
o issuing the necessary roles and privileges to the CNT user;
o Import data into the database from a temporary file. This can take a lot of time
depending on the volume of imported data;
o Search for errors and their correction in the new database;
o Delete temporary files;
o Additional validation checks for recovery;
o Adding the import protocol to the archive file (if possible).
o When recovering from a cold archive copy:
o Stop the Oracle DBMS server or the OS service;
o Unzip all data files, service files and other necessary files;
o Starting an Oracle DBMS server or OS service;
o Adding the import protocol to the archive file (if possible).
o The process of importing and unarchiving data is quite long and non-linear in time, so
when performing this operation, the indicator is shown to the user.

o All information about the program's actions is shown in the “Protocol” field in the lower
part of the window. You can view backup and restore protocols, as well as save them to a
separate file, by selecting the required backup and clicking the "Protocols" button.
· After the recovery operation is completed, the user will be prompted to complete the
recovery.
· After that, you need to view the recovery protocol. The protocol contains all the
information about the process of restoring the database.
DB recovery operation completed.
4.4 Store Backup

After creating a backup copy of the AlphaCENTER database, the file can and should
be transferred to another medium. To do this, simply copy the required file (file extension
AC5) to the desired directory or media. All the necessary information is already contained in
this file.
4.5 Upload backup

If the required backup is not in the backup log, you can download it from a file.
Before loading a backup copy from a file, you need to check the availability of free disk
space. To download a backup copy you need:
· Click the "Upload file to copy list" button;
· Specify the name of the file from which the backup will be downloaded (by default, the
files are saved in the \ Files directory);
· After clicking on the "Open" button, the program will load the backup from the file into
the backup list;
4.6 Backup automation

To automate the backup process, it is possible to launch the AlphaCENTER Utilities
program in batch mode, i.e. the program does the requested operation and ends.
Command line parameters are used for this.
The general command format for batch operations is:
ACUtils.exe FileName -Parameter_ Action [-Parameter1] …… [-ParameterN], where
ACUtils.exe is the name of the program;
FileName is the full name of the file with which the operation will be performed;
Parameter_Action is a required parameter that indicates whether the operation will be
performed - backup or restore;
Parameter1 ... N - optional parameters;
All parameters begin with a minus sign ("-");
The file name and parameters are separated by spaces;
The following command line options are available:
Parameter Purpose
BACKUP Performing a backup operation;

RESTORE Perform a restore operation from the specified file;
DATE Adding to the name of the saved file the backup date in the format
yyyy_mm_dd. Used with the BACKUP and SAVE parameters;
TIME Adding to the name of the saved file the date and time of the backup in the
format yyyyy_mm_dd__hh_mi_ss; Used with the BACKUP and SAVE
parameters;
NOLIST After the backup operation is completed, the backup will be removed from
the backup list, but the file itself will remain;
LOGSAVE After performing the backup operation, the protocol will be saved to a
separate file with the * .ac5log extension.
Examples:
· C:\AlphaCenter\ACUtils\ACUtils.exe C:\Rezerv_Copy\cnt.ac5 -BACKUP - creating a
backup copy and saving it in the file C: \ Rezerv_Copy \ cnt.ac5;
· C:\AlphaCenter\ACUtils\ACUtils.exe C:\Rezerv_Copy\cnt.ac5 -BACKUP -NOLIST -
creating a backup copy and saving it in the file C: \ Rezerv_Copy \ cnt.ac5. After saving the
backup to a file, the copy will be removed from the backup list;
· C:\AlphaCenter\ACUtils\ACUtils.exe C:\Rezerv_Copy\cnt.ac5 -BACKUP -DATE -SAVE -
creating a backup copy and saving it to the file C: \ Rezerv_Copy \ cnt2007_01_20.ac5
(20_01_2007 is the current date);
Warning:
· All settings in the “Parameters” form fully affect the operation of the batch mode.
· To automate the launch of the AlphaCENTER Utilities application, the startup command
itself must be added to the Windows schedule service on its own;
· Also, for automation, you can use the AlphaCENTER Task Manager and AlphaCENTER
modules Launch external applications;
4.7 Recovery
A backup copy of the database may be needed in many situations, but it is not a
panacea for all cases. Below we consider the two most frequently encountered situations for
the restoration of the AlphaCENTER database.
Due to various manipulations, data is lost in the database (for example, deleted by
mistake), but the database server itself works correctly. In this situation, you can help restore
lost data without collecting them from the counters in a timely archived copy. Simply select
the required copy from the list and click the restore button. If successful, all lost data will be
restored;
Due to various manipulations with the database server, it does not work or does not
work correctly. In this case, before using the AlphaCENTER Utilities program, it is necessary
to restore the functionality of the database server itself. To do this, it must be completely
removed and reinstalled from the distribution disk.
How to remove AlphaCENTER SE/UE

1. Stop all services related to Oracle (must be 7) (start - >settings - >control Panel -
>Administration - >Services);
2. Stop all AlphaCENTER services (maximum 4) (start - >settings - >control Panel -
>Administration - >Services);
3. Exit all programs, especially those relating to AlphaCENTER;
4. To remove the directory where you previously set the Oracle (drives C, D, etc.). If not
removed, then go through all the points to the end, and then repeat the removal;
5. To delete a directory in Oracle C:\Program Files;
6. Start regedit.exe (WindowsDir\SYSTEM32) or just start- > Run - >regedit;
7. To remove all registry from the LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE (ORACLE only
delete, not LOCAL_MACHINE or SOFTWARE);
8. To remove all registry CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\ORACLE, if any (to remove only the
ORACLE and not CURRENT_USER or SOFTWARE);
9. Remove from LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Service\Oracle*.* - must
be the same as in step 1 (only ORACLE, not LOCAL_MACHINE or SYSTEM, etc.));
10.Close RegEdit.exe;
11.Go to"My computer"->Properties->Advanced->environment Variables". Find the PATH
variable. Remove from it (by clicking "Change") all related to Oracle. As a rule, C:
\ORACLE\BIN, C:\PROGRAM FILES\ORACLE\JRE\BIN, C:\ORANT;
12.Remove from menu "start" all about Oracle and AlphaCENTER;
13.Reboot the computer.
How to remove AlphaCENTER PE

1. Stop all services related to Oracle (should be 6-7);
2. Stop all services AlphaCENTER (max 4);
3. Exit all programs, especially those relating to AlphaCENTER;
4. To remove the directory where you previously set the Oracle C:\ORANT and C:\ORACLE.
If not removed, then go through all the points to the end, and then repeat the removal;
5. To delete a directory in Oracle C:\Program Files, if any.
6. Start regedit.exe (C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32) or just start->Run->regedit;
7. To remove all registry from the LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE (ORACLE only
delete, not LOCAL_MACHINE or SOFTWARE);
8. To remove all registry CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\ORACLE, if any (to remove only the
ORACLE and not CURRENT_USER or SOFTWARE);
9. Remove from LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Service\Oracle*.* - must be
the same as in step 1 (only ORACLE, not LOCAL_MACHINE or SYSTEM, etc.));
10.Close RegEdit.exe;
11.Go to"My computer"->Properties->Advanced->environment Variables". Find the PATH
variable. Remove from it (by clicking "Change") all related to Oracle. As a rule, C:
\ORANT\BIN and C:\ORACLE\BIN and C:\PROGRAM FILES\ORACLE\JRE\BIN (if you have
one);
12.Remove from menu "start" all about Oracle and AlphaCENTER;
13.Reboot the computer.
BEFORE DELETING A BD SERVER, SAVE BACKUP COPIES ON ANOTHER MEDIA.

After rearranging the server, use the AlphaCENTER Utilities program to restore the data
from the archive as described in the “Restoring the database from backup” section.
Attention! To restore the functionality of the database server, you may need to completely
reinstall the MS Windows operating system (format drive C).
4.8 View backup/restore logs

All actions taken by the module to create or restore a backup copy are recorded in a
special log file with the extension * .ac5log. The form for viewing these protocols is shown
in the figure below.
1. The "Backup Protocol" tab shows the backup protocol. This protocol is always one.
2. The "Recovery Protocol" tab shows all the recovery operation protocols that were
performed with this backup. On the left of the tab is a list of dates when the restore
operation was performed.
3. To view the protocols, click the Download button, select the required file and click OK.
After downloading, various protocols and comments will be displayed on the
corresponding tabs.
4. To save the logs to a file, click the Save button, specify the file name and click OK. All
logs, comments and other service information will be saved to the specified file.
5. To view the protocols of various copies, use the “Back” and “Forward” buttons.
6. To save the text of the current bookmark to a file, use the “Save Text” button.
7. Click OK to close the window.
5 The remaining features

5.1 Form "Collection of diagnostic information"
This form is designed to collect information about the system, Oracle DBMS,
AlphaCENTER database, the Communicator and Task Manager modules in the case of errors
occurring during the AlphaCENTER or its modules. All diagnostic information is collected in
one file, encrypted and ready for further transmission to technical support.
To collect information you need:
· On the "Categories" tab, select the required categories of information collected or select
all if there is no clear idea of ?what information may be required;
· Specify the name of the diagnostic file where all the specified information will be
collected;
· On the "Explanation" tab give a brief description of the problem;
· On the "Additional files" tab, indicate the files that you think relate to the problem being
solved. For example, a copy of the screen with an error message or additional log files;
· Click "Collect Information"
· After the process of collecting information is completed, the file indicated above will be
obtained. This file should be sent to the technical support service of AlphaCENTER
software on the forum at www.alphacenter.ru/global or at alphacenter@elster.com.

5.2 Form "Network Settings"

The form is intended for automatic configuration of the Oracle network parameters
required for the operation of AlphaCENTER software. The program automatically detects all
current parameters and, in case of errors, prompts you to correct the necessary parameters.
Specify the password of the CNT or SYSTEM user (if the database is not set), click the
“Perform the required correction” button and, if necessary, specify the IP address or the
name of the computer where the Oracle database server is located.
To configure the operation of the Oracle DBMS with activated Windows Firewall (XP
SP2 and above / Server 2003), click the button "Oracle and Windows Firewall".
5.3 Form "AlphaCENTER statistics"

This form is designed to collect, view, save to the file statistical information about
the software version "AlphaCENTER", installed AlphaCENTER database updates and
AlphaCENTER modules installed, as well as the contents of the AlphaCENTER database and
backups created.
To collect information about the versions of the installed software - the tab
"AlphaCENTER software" - you need to connect to the target database - the "Connect to
database" button. To collect information you need to click "Collect data".
To save data, click the "Save Data" button. To download for viewing, click the
"Download data" button. To save report in xls / xml / html / txt formats, click the "Save
Report" button.
To collect information about the database - the "AlphaCENTER database" tab - you
need to connect to the target database - the "Connect to database" button. To collect
statistical information, it is necessary to press the "Collect data" button - this process can be
lengthy, therefore an indicator will be shown during the collection process. After the end of
data collection, all collected information will be shown in the appropriate table.
To save data, click the "Save Data" button. To download for viewing, click the
"Download data" button. To save report in xls / xml / html / txt formats, click the "Save
Report" button.
The "AlphaCENTER DB Updates" tab is intended for viewing installed updates and
saving installation logs to a file. To save the installation log to a file, you must click the
"Save log to file" button.
The "Backup copies" tab is intended for viewing the list of previously created backup
copies of the AlphaCENTER database. This list contains all the backup copies of the
database that were ever made successfully by the Utility module and are stored in the
AlphaCENTER database itself. The list contains the name of the computer from which the
backup was made, and the name of the backup file on the computer from which the
backup was made. To view the backup protocol, you must click the "View Protocol" button.
The "Database objects with errors" tab is intended for viewing and correcting
database objects with errors. To correct objects, click the "Correct errors" button. To correct
errors you need to connect to the database. This form is shown in the figure below.

The remaining features 19
5.4 Form "Execute SQL queries"

This form is designed to execute SQL queries to the server.
In the "Script text" field you can type the text of SQL commands that will be sent to
the database server. To connect to the server, you must click the "Connect to the database."
To download a script from a file, you must click the "Download" button. To insert a
script from the clipboard, click "Paste".
The results of the script execution will be shown in the field of the same name at the
bottom of the form. To save the query results as a text file, click Save. For cleaning - the
button "Clear".
5.5 Form "Delete old data and reindexation"

The "Delete old data and reindexation" form on the "Delete old data" tab is used to
delete outdated commercial data on feeders.
To delete old data it is necessary:
· Connect to the database server - the "Connect to the database" button. You must use
the SYSTEM user. After connecting to the database and before exiting this form,
new connections to the database server will be prohibited. To allow new
connections it is necessary in the form "Execution of SQL queries" under the user
SYSTEM to give the command
alter system disable restricted session;
· Delete main index - the "Delete main index" button. This operation frees up space in the
tablespaces to create the auxiliary index. After the removal is completed, it is
imperative to create a main index;
· Create auxiliary index - the "Create auxiliary index" button. This operation creates a
temporary index that is required for quick data deletion. This index must be deleted after
deleting the old data and before creating the main index. Creating an additional index
takes a long time;
· Define the first data - the button "Define the first data". This operation determines the
date of the first and last data and may take a long time;
· Select the date until which the primary data will be deleted - the "Delete data to:" field;
· Delete primary data - the button "Delete old data". This operation takes a long time
and its progress is displayed on the indicator at the bottom of the window. The operation
can be interrupted by the button "Abort deletion";
· Delete sub index - the "Delete sub index" button. This operation removes the auxiliary
index, freeing up space for the main index and should not take a long time;
· Create a main index - the "Create a main index" button. This operation creates the main
index and takes a long time. It is necessary to create the main index after deleting
the old data.
· Allow new connections. New connections will also be allowed upon leaving this form.
After the main index is created, the operation to delete old data is considered completed.
To perform all actions without user participation, you must select the date "Delete data to:"
and click the "Execute all operations and delete old data" button.

To call additional dispatchers (Connections, Table Spaces and Extents) use the buttons of
the same name.
The "Delete old data and reindexation" form on the "Reindexation" tab is intended
for reindexing all AlphaCENTER database data.
To re-index (re-create all indices) all the data in the AlphaCENTER database, you
must:
· Connect to the database server - the "Connect to the database" button. You must use
the SYSTEM user. After connecting to the database and before exiting this form,
new connections to the database server will be prohibited. To allow new
connections it is necessary in the form "Execution of SQL queries" under the user
SYSTEM to give the command
alter system disable restricted session;
· Reindex - Run Reindex button. This operation sequentially creates new indexes for the
data and replaces the old indexes with new ones. To cancel the operation, you must click
the "Abort Reindex" button.
· Allow new connections. New connections will also be allowed upon leaving this form.
5.6 Form "Oracle network settings for working through a firewall"

This form is designed to configure Oracle DBMS when MS Windows firewall is
activated (XP SP2 / Server 2003). The form allows you to make the necessary settings in the
Oracle DBMS, so that the server always works on a single TCP port - 1521. To do this, click
the Run button next to the second item and restart the computer — click the corresponding
Run button.
5.7 Form "User manager"

The form is intended for viewing users, changing their passwords and personal data,
as well as adding new users and deleting old users.
To add a new user, click the Add User button (see figure below). In this form, you
must specify the user's role (view, maintenance, work with communications or an
administrator who has the rights to maintain and work with communications), name,
password and password confirmation. You can also specify additional information about
the user - name, department, phone number and email address. User data will also be
visible in the "Connection Manager" form.
To change the password, select a user from the list and click the "Change Password"
button. In the “Change user password” window that appears in the “Change user password”
picture, select a user and enter the old password in the “Old password” field, a new
password in the “New password” field and confirm that the new password has been entered
correctly in the Confirmation field . To change the password, click "OK".
Attention! The password must begin with a letter, i.e. password "123" does not fit, correct
password is "s123". The case of letters is not taken into account. In case of input errors, the
program will report this. If the password is successfully changed, the program informs you

about it. The new password will not be shown anywhere, so be careful when changing the
password, especially users SYS, SYSTEM and CNT.
To change user data (name, department, telephone, E-mail), click the "Change User"
button and enter new data in the "Change User Data" form.
5.8 Form "Tablespace manager"

This form is intended for viewing information about the Oracle DBMS table spaces.
The form contains a list of all spaces and for each space the following information is shown:
· Name and size of space;
· All files that make up the space;
· The total size and amount of free space in each file;
· The total size and amount of free disk space used to host the file;
This form is used for two purposes - creating a new table space and adding a new
data file to an existing table space. In the first case, you must specify the name of the space,
the name of the data file, its size and the autogrow property. When the “Auto-Expand”
checkbox is selected, the database server itself will increase the size of the table space / data
file if necessary.
To increase the size of an existing data file, you must:
· Select the required data file or space;
· Go to the “Tabular space (Total)” column (highlighted in pink) or click the “Increase space”
button;
· Press F2 or double click;
· In the edit box that appears, specify the new size;
· Click the "Apply" button.
To automatically correct the size of the required table spaces, click the “Make
Correction” button. Also, this operation is automatically done when performing a
backup operation.
Attention! User CNT has NO RIGHTS for working with tablespaces (adding,
resizing, etc.). To perform these operations requires user SYS or SYSTEM. You can use
the CNT user to perform the defragmentation operation. This form does not allow
you to delete a file or space - use standard Oracle tools or call technical support. The
“Connect to DB” button is used to temporarily connect another user to the database
(usually SYSTEM) to perform an operation with files / spaces.
The ability to add space / file, as well as resizing is available only when
working on the database server.
5.9 Form "Connection Manager"

This form is shown in the figure below and is intended for viewing the list of Oracle
database server sessions. You can change the settings for connecting to the database - the

button “Connections to the database”. Over time, new sessions may appear or current ones
disappear - to update the list of sessions, click the Refresh button. Also, the current list of
sessions can be saved as a * .xls, * .html, * .xml or * .txt file - the “Save to file” button.
It is possible to forcibly disconnect the selected user from the server. It is not
recommended to do this unless absolutely necessary. To disconnect a user from the server,
you must have SYSDBA rights (for example, user SYS).
5.10 Form "Extents Manager"

This form is shown in the figure below and is intended to view and modify
information on the distribution of the extents of tables and indexes in the database - the
total size of the object, the size of the extents - the initial and the next, as well as their
current and maximum number.
It is possible to change the maximum number of extents, the size of the next extent
and increase the maximum number of extents for all objects. It is also possible to save
information about extents to a file - to do this, click the "Save to file" button. The "Connect
to the database" button serves to temporarily connect to the database under another user.
It is recommended to use CNT user.
It is also possible to collect statistics at the Oracle DBMS level for the whole CNT scheme or
for the selected object - a table or an index. If the statistics is outdated, then it must either
be deleted - the button “Delete statistics” or re-build - the button “Collect statistics”.
5.11 Form "Language choice"

The form is shown in the figure below and is intended to change the language of
the system messages of the AlphaCENTER program. Select the desired language, click OK
and restart AlphaCENTER.
5.12 Form "Information about HASP-key

The form is intended to display information about the installed HASP key. To save
information to a file, click “Save to file”, to read from a file - “Open from file”. When reading
information from a file, the HASP key is not modified.
To update the HASP key firmware, click the HASP key update button and specify the
key firmware file - the file with the .haspact extension. To obtain the firmware key, please
contact technical support. It is necessary to provide information about your HASP-
keys - send .haspinfo files for each variable key. In response, you will be sent
.haspact files for each variable key. After successful modification of the key, it is
necessary to update its information on the site www.alphacenter.ru.
To read the HASP key via RDP, you must click the button "Allow RDP" - in this
mode, the port selection for the HASP key will be impossible and the information will be
read only for the first installed HASP key. This mode is not saved and is activated only by
pressing this button while working with the form "Information about HASP-key".

5.13 Form "HASP-key manager"

The HASP Keys Manager form is intended for:
· transfer of selected products from one HASP key to another, without contacting
AlphaCENTER technical support.
There are two modes of transferring modules:
o Two keys are installed in turn - the first mode;
o Two keys are installed at the same time - the second mode.
· performing the operation of replacing the LPT-key with USB, without contacting the
technical support service of AlphaCENTER.
To transfer the required products in the first mode, you must:

· Have both hasp keys;
· Insert the original HASP key — the key from which products will be transferred to another
HASP key — the receiver;
· Click the "Read" button under the panel with information about the original key;
· Insert the final HASP key — the key to which products will be transferred from another
HASP key — the source;
· Press the “Read” button under the panel with information about the receiving key;
· Select the desired product on the source key panel and click the ">>" button to transfer
the corresponding product. You can transfer multiple products at a time;
· Press the “Flash HASP key” button and follow the program instructions:
o Remove the HASP key source and insert the HASP key receiver to verify that the
products transported are not in the receiver key;
o Remove the receiver HASP key and insert the source HASP key to verify that the
transported products are present in the source key. If successful, the transferred
products will be removed from the source key;
o Remove the HASP key source and insert the HASP key receiver to add portable
products to the key;
To transfer the required products in the second mode, you must:

· Insert the original HASP key — the key from which products will be transferred to another
HASP key — the receiver;
· Select the port to which the HASP key is connected and click on the “Read” button under
the panel with information about the original key;
· Insert the final HASP key — the key to which products will be transferred from another
HASP key — the source;
· Select the port to which the HASP key is connected and press the “Read” button under
the panel with information about the receiving key;
· Select the desired product on the source key panel and click the ">>" button to transfer
the corresponding product. You can transfer multiple products at a time;
· Click the button "Flash HASP-key" and follow the instructions of the program. It is not
necessary to remove or insert keys during transfer.
To perform the operation of replacing the LPT-key with USB, you must:


· Insert the initial LPT HASP key into the LPT port and select the LPT port in the left part of
the form;
· Insert the final USB -HASP key into the USB port and select the USB1 or USB2 port in the
right part of the form. The USB key must be uninitialized;
· Press the button "Replace";
· Return the LPT-key to LLC Elster Metronica;
5.14 Form "Commercial interval system"

Form "Commercial interval system" is designed to set the value of the commercial
interval for the entire system. This form is shown in the figure below.
To install you need:
· Establish a connection to the database server - the "Connection" button, specify the
password and the name of the database for which the value of the commercial interval
will be displayed;
· The database should not contain descriptions of counters and commercial data, i.e. must
be practically empty;
· Select a new sales interval and click OK. After that, the sales interval will be changed.

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AlphaCENTER Utilities

Copyright © 2020 LLC "Elster Metroniсa"

Part II Basic software features 4

Part III Installation and Setup 5

Part IV Backup and Restore 10

Part V The remaining features 17

Copyright © 2020 LLC "Elster Metroniсa"

Copyright © 2020 LLC "Elster Metroniсa"

The AlphaCENTER Utilities software is designed to create backup copies of the

Technical support: www.alphacenter.ru/global

2 Basic software features

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3 Installation and Setup

Minimum requirements Recommended Requirements

Память: Minimum 512 Мб and high 1024 Mb

CD: DVD-ROM DVD-ROM

System Software Requirements:

ATTENTION! To perform backup or restore operations, it is necessary for the Oracle

3.2 Software installation

3.3 After installing the software

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· Additionally, additional parameters;

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· The checkbox "Restore additional AlphaCENTER users" determines whether the

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3.4.1 External Archiver Requirement

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· overwrite the file if it already exists;

The following macro substitutions can be used:

%TMP% Directory for temporary files

%AC5% Catalog for ac5-files

%FILENAME% The name of the file extracted from the archive

%DESTFOLDER% Receiver directory for the extracted file

3.5 Internet access setup

4 Backup and Restore

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Hot backup Cold backup

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4.2 Creating a backup copy of the database

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4.3 Restore DB from backup

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DB recovery operation completed.

4.4 Store Backup

4.5 Upload backup

4.6 Backup automation

BACKUP Performing a backup operation;

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RESTORE Perform a restore operation from the specified file;

How to remove AlphaCENTER SE/UE

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How to remove AlphaCENTER PE

BEFORE DELETING A BD SERVER, SAVE BACKUP COPIES ON ANOTHER MEDIA.

Copyright © 2020 LLC "Elster Metroniсa"

4.8 View backup/restore logs

5 The remaining features

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5.2 Form "Network Settings"

5.3 Form "AlphaCENTER statistics"

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5.4 Form "Execute SQL queries"

5.5 Form "Delete old data and reindexation"