Why did Flare keep scanning and scanning?

[Gary Niemen]

We have a huge help file with plenty of niggly little errors - both in the content and in the formatting. Recently, we ran a day-long workshop to get some of it sorted. So, for a day, we were running Flare as follows:
* 4 users updating the same project at the same time
* Source project on file/web server in Stockholm
* 3 users in Stockholm, 1 user in India (connecting remotely to a machine in Stockholm)
* No source control

Talk about stress testing!

Question: Flare carried on scanning all day. It scanned and then when it had finished, it scanned again. Both scans - the first scan and the advanced scan. Anyone know why? It seemed to be triggered by something, by a certain type of update. All this scanning, although running in the background, slowed us down - especially the user working from India. Somebody asked, can we turn off the scanning? I said: "No I don't think so - everybody on the forum asks that."

Anybody got any thoughts on this?

[Madcap Guru]

If you update your topics Flare will scan the updates, but you should still be able to work in the project.

[Andrew]

I know what you mean, Gary. We experience a similar scanning (Flare full scans seem to be "tripped" by some action -- like adding an image, of all things). We also don't use source control, and have multiple authors in a project. Since the scanning doesn't seem to have a big impact on performance, and doesn't prevent us from doing anything, we basically ignore it at this point.

[wijnand]

The problem to boot is that occasionally the database gets coruupted and you are stuck with a Database that keeps saying you got 400 broken links eventhough you dont

Wish there was a way to turn off the advanced and normal scan.

[rob hollinger]

Info to clear the air a bit...

The database for projects on a network resource is located locally for each person.
When you have 4 people in a project at the same time, each saves, each updates the project, each making the files on the project newer than your scanned version of the project on your system will cause the scan to go on all day long.
When you add an image - Analyzer needs to update the "used In" tables so if that image gets renamed or moved, it can update all the files that its attached to.

User A adds a NEW image to a topic. Analyzer pics up a new file in the project and its attached to topic.htm. Save and scan is done.
User B and C now has an out of date analyzers and they pic up on the changes to the project and scan.
User C didn't like the image and deletes it but adds in a different image.
A and B both need to update and hopefully through all this, they wont get corrupted.

Yes, if that database gets corrupted, it will report all kinds of crazy things. Best bet is to close your project,and move that analyzer folder or rename it causing Flare to think its missing. This will cause Flare to rebuild it, and yes, it could take some time to do that depending on the size, complexity, and location of your project.

If your projects are local, the analyzer folder is in the same location as the project.
If your projects are stored on a network, your projects analyzer folder will be located in your personal AppData folder (usually a hidden file under default windows).
Example address of network analyzer folders:
"C:\Users\rhollinger\AppData\Roaming\MadCap Software\Analyzer\NameofProject"

In Gary's instance - I can see where it could be difficult. Id keep ongoing back ups of the project and just before each 'break' (if anyone takes those anymore) rebuild the analyzer folder to make sure they have the most up to-date tables.

[Andrew]

Interesting...

I wonder how it works on our Terminal Server? My team of 3 currently works on both network-based projects and a local project as well (a large project where the network presents a performance issue). The network projects have a folder in AppData, and the local project does not, yet we three all edit the same project locally. Is that a problem?

[rob hollinger]

Interesting...

I wonder how it works on our Terminal Server? My team of 3 currently works on both network-based projects and a local project as well (a large project where the network presents a performance issue). The network projects have a folder in AppData, and the local project does not, yet we three all edit the same project locally. Is that a problem?

When you copy a project down locally, Flare will create the analyzer folder inside the same location where the project is. It considers those projects to be local because they are.
I'm sure you merge them all back together on the network for back up etc - There is no need to copy your analyzer folders up to the network either and avoid sharing the analyzer folder because the links and addresses will all be different. So only Copy your project file, content folder, and project folder.

When you get your latest version - analyzer is gonna be out of date. Its going to scan because of all the additional changes your co-workers made in other areas.
If you find the project is acting up and your unable to edit topics etc - Then get rid of your local analyzer folder and let Flare rebuild a new one.
Will it take some time? Sure. But instead of "repairing itself" its now "rebuilding itself" and the performance should pick back up.

[Gary Niemen]

Thanks for the info - now you explain it, it makes sense.
I think in our case, the issue was about performance - how the ongoing scanning affected performance.
As far as I can tell, the integrity of the (four) Analyzer folders was maintained.

[Andrew]

Yep, as far as I know, we've had no problems with integrity.