Guide to mvBase Files and Accounts Overview

As a system administrator, you need to have a greater grasp of the organization of the system software than the average user. There are two types of accounts from which you can perform administrative tasks. Almost all administrative tasks can be performed from a special account called SYSPROG, which is the SYStem PROGrammer account. In addition, certain administrative tasks can be performed by operators of the special operator accounts: COLDSTART, FILE-SAVE, and INCR-SAVE.

Using the SYSPROG Account

The SYSPROG account gives you unlimited access to all files on the system as well as to certain commands that cannot be invoked by ordinary users. The contents of this account and system privileges are described in Using the SYSPROG Account and Commands.

Almost all the commands described in this guide must be executed while you are logged on to the SYSPROG account. This is because the special commands for administering the system are found only in the Master Dictionary of the SYSPROG account; they are not included in any other user account.

Using Operator Accounts

In addition to the SYSPROG account itself, there are special operator accounts from each of which a certain administrative task can be performed. Each of these operator accounts is set up to perform one specific task. For example, when you log on to the FILE-SAVE account, the FILE-SAVE Proc is automatically executed to save data files. When the filesave is complete, the Proc automatically logs itself off.

Operator accounts are actually Account Synonym Definition items that point to the SYSPROG account. They allow operators to perform administrative tasks using the SYSPROG account without giving them unlimited access to the account itself.

The operator accounts are:

COLDSTART	Executes the COLD-START Proc.
FILE-SAVE	Executes the FILE-SAVE Proc.
INCR-SAVE	Executes the INCR-SAVE Proc.

The operator accounts used to execute these Procs are described fully in later sections of this guide.

Guide Overview

The sections of this guide are focused primarily on the needs of the system administrator within the MultiValue environment. The major sections of this guide include the following:

Syntax Notations	Describes the conventions that are used throughout mvBase documentation for indicating standard and mvBASIC command line syntax.
Using the Terminal Control Language	This section offers instruction on how to use the Terminal Control Language Processor (TCL), which is an interactive command processor that monitors activity on a user’s terminal.
Creating a Database	This section examines the procedures involved in designing and creating a simple database consisting of a single file.
mvBase Database Architecture	This section describes the processes and features of the mvBase database architecture, and includes several examples to illustrate the processes described.
Managing Files	This section provides an overview of managing files on the mvBase system.
Creating and Deleting Accounts	This section describes the procedures for creating and deleting new accounts and adding new user-IDs.
Managing Accounts	This section examines account management in the context of individual users and groups of users.
Backing Up Files	This section describes the role of backup within the context of database administration, and describes the various types of backup available and how to perform them.
Restoring Files and Accounts	This section describes the various types of restoration available for files and accounts, and how to perform them.
Using the BTREE File Structure	This section describes the features and use of the BTREE file structure, which provides a rapid mechanism to support and quickly access sorted indices for database files.
Using the SYSPROG Account and Commands	This large section describes the function of the SYSPROG account within database administration, and contains a comprehensive listing of all SYSPROG commands.
Using User Accounts and Commands	This large section describes the types of user accounts, and contains a comprehensive listing of all user account commands.