Due to the tight integration between a SmartVizor design and the associated database back-end, database performance can significantly affect SmartVizor's overall performance. There are several issues that contribute to database performance. Below are some design considerations to keep in mind to achieve maximum performance.

• Network latency: If your database is located on a network drive, the performance will be limited by the latency of the network itself. The faster the network, the faster the data can be retrieved and updated. For maximum performance, keep the data on the local PC's hard drive.

• Database table size: One way to improve performance is to break the data up into separate database tables. This will result in smaller database table sizes which will in turn result in faster loading times. For example, a school may store student information in several tables based on grade level, so a high school may have three tables, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, and 12th Grade, rather than storing all the students information in a single database table.

• Image and signature size: If you are storing images and/or signatures in a database, it is very important to keep image size as small as possible to maximize performance. Images typically occupy the vast majority of space in a database. When you acquire an image or signature, do so at the lowest resolution and image quality that produces an acceptable image for your application. If you plan to store a large number of images in a database, a good alternative is to store picture paths in the database rather than the actual image file binary data. For additional information, see the Mail Merging with an Image Database section below.

• Database type: The type of database you use will affect database performance. SmartVizor's Sample Database uses Microsoft Access. Access is suitable for standard database applications, typically up to database sizes of around 2 GB. However, performance may drop off before that. If you intend to add upwards of 500 records with pictures, you should consider moving to an enterprise level database such as Microsoft SQL Server, or Oracle.

• PC RAM and hard disk space: If you are working with a large database, the more RAM and free hard disk space your PC has, the better. When working with data from the database, it is loaded into your PC's memory. If your PC has limited resources, performance may be slowed significantly. If you are working with a large database, a minimum of 512 MB of RAM is recommended.

If you are getting database related errors or SmartVizor doesn't list any templates in the Create New Document dialog, you may need to update a component of Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC). Try searching http://www.microsoft.com for MDAC, then download and install the latest version on your PC. A link to the MDAC download page is provided below.

Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) Downloads

Microsoft Excel?
If you use a Microsoft Excel? database and some of the database records aren't showing up properly, your database may have formatting applied to columns that prevent it from working properly. You may need to create a new spreadsheet and re-enter the data. Don't use copy-and-paste or you could end up copying the problematic formatting.

A common symptom is when leading zeros are not shown in SmartVizor.