The poll response data
generated from your polls is the key to developing useful, unbiased
information directly from your customers. Therefore, PollMaker
includes several features to help you manage this critical poll
response data. From within the Poll Manager application you have the
option to manage data for any poll currently residing on the local
machine by selecting the "Manage Data" button (figure 1).
Figure 1: Poll Manager Quick Pick
Screen
A data
management dialog box (figure 2) is displayed that allows you to
select one of the data management actions:
- Index Poll
Results - As a poll runs, the response data provided by
respondents is written to a poll response result data file. When
this action is selected, all unprocessed result data files are
processed and indexed into the data repository for that poll.
PollMaker uses a Microsoft Access database file as the data
repository for each poll. If a data repository for the current
poll does not yet exist, one will be created automatically.
PollMaker performs this action automatically whenever you run a
poll report for this poll.
- Dump Poll
Results - Erases all poll response result data files and the
data repository for the currently selected poll.
- Compact
Database - Compacts the poll repository database to recover
wasted disk space. The PollMaker system will periodically compact
the database, but it is a good idea to compact your data
repository manually to assure good performance from the
database.
- Repair
Database - If your poll repository database ever becomes
corrupted due to a hardware failure or interruption of power, you
may need to take this action in an attempt to repair the database.
This action would only be taken under direction from PollMaker
Technical Support.
- Archive Data
- Archives data from your poll repository database. In this case
the data is removed from the database and stored in a separate
file. You can choose to archive all data or only data prior to a
specified date. This feature can be useful to remove old data from
your poll repository that you wish to keep, but that you no longer
wish to take up space in your poll repository.
- Clean-Up Old
Files - When poll result data files are indexed into the poll
data repository (see Index Poll Results above), the result data
files are not deleted. In order to conserve disk space, this
action compresses all processed result data files into an archive
file. You can choose to compress all processed result data files
or only those files created before a specified date. Selecting the
Archive Data action (see above) also performs a clean-up of any
related result data files. Therefore, if you choose to archive
data, you do not also need to clean-up old result data
files.
Figure 2: Poll Manager Data Management Dialog
Box
Return to Poll Management
and Execution.
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