What is the difference between Clean Up Company Data andTruncation performed by Data Services?

Just wondering what the difference is and if you would expect any improvement in file speed when running reports, verifying, backing up?

I've stepped through a file that hadn't had much maintenance done on it - done multiple rebuilds, verifys, portable file backups and restores, as well as using Clean Up Company Data to remove 11 years of material over several multi year cycles, saving the archives as I go.

The DB was over 1700, and is now only 5, and it certainly seems a bit quicker when processing on the day to day - just wondering if there is any further value in having the file truncated by DS?

Accepted answers

Datarec

Hi @Cate_Precision_Books

Truncation (File Size Reduction via Transaction Removal):

will only remove all transactions older than a given cut-off date (example: remove all transactions older than 01/07/2022)
will not create any inventory adjustment journals for item quantities on hand as at the day before the cut-off date
will not create any inventory adjustment journals to handle changes to the item average cost amount as at the day before the cut-off date
will not create any adjustment general journals for account closing balances as at the day before the cut-off date
will not create any adjustment general journals for customer balances as at the day before the cut-off date
will require the end-user to do additional work to handle the side-effects of the removal of transactions, such as re-creating any invoices or bills that are linked to invoice or bill payments 'after' the cut-off date

The file size reduction service is currently not a service where you can just drop off a file and get back a resulting file that you can simply keep on using without making any additional adjustments.

If you are comfortable and familiar with the creation of adjustment journals and comparing reports and would like to submit a file to undergo a test of the file size reduction so you can see firsthand the results on a copy of your data file in terms of the physical reduction in file size and the effects on balances, quantities, etc., then we can assist you further.

Datarec

@Cate_Precision_Books

Truncation physically removes the transactions and does not create any summary journals to replace or account for the removed data.

The main benefit would be the reduction in the QBW file size.

All comments

Lucas

Hi @Cate_Precision_Books,

Thank you for your post, I will be tagging our Data recovery expert so they can discuss this further with you.

@Datarec_ReckonLtd could you please assist, thank you.

Cheers,

Lucas

Datarec

Hi @Cate_Precision_Books

Truncation (File Size Reduction via Transaction Removal):

will only remove all transactions older than a given cut-off date (example: remove all transactions older than 01/07/2022)
will not create any inventory adjustment journals for item quantities on hand as at the day before the cut-off date
will not create any inventory adjustment journals to handle changes to the item average cost amount as at the day before the cut-off date
will not create any adjustment general journals for account closing balances as at the day before the cut-off date
will not create any adjustment general journals for customer balances as at the day before the cut-off date
will require the end-user to do additional work to handle the side-effects of the removal of transactions, such as re-creating any invoices or bills that are linked to invoice or bill payments 'after' the cut-off date

Cate_Precision_Books

@Datarec_ReckonLtd thank you for the prompt reply.

Yes, very familiar with journals, so that part isn't an issue.

If I've already performed Clean Up Company Data to 30/06/2018 (ticking yes both screens re removing unused/uncleared/unprinted/unapproved items), and I would only be asking for data from pre 1/7/2018 to be truncated, what would the difference be?

I'm trying to understand the difference in the file between the CUCD vs truncation. My understanding is that CUCD seems to perform the truncation, but creates the journals to replace the deleted data, and keeps the bills/invoices associated with post CUCD payments.

In this scenario, would you envisage much benefit?

Datarec

@Cate_Precision_Books

Truncation physically removes the transactions and does not create any summary journals to replace or account for the removed data.

The main benefit would be the reduction in the QBW file size.

Alexis McKeown

Hello @Cate_Precision_Books ,

We would almost always recommend a data truncation.

CUCD can cause data corruptions on larger files with many transactions due to the nature of how it cleans the data up - CUCD specifically deletes transactions internal to the company file regardless of their current connections and links to other transactions and/or contacts (eg. suppliers/customers). In situations where CUCD has been used on company files that use inventory or rely on detailed audit trails, it does not result in a significant drop in file size, nor increases the speed of the file by a significant margin.

Atypically, file speed is conserved per good file maintenance practices (eg. backing up once every week to once every two weeks depending on size/age of the file, running and restoring a portable backup once every year to reduce data file fragmentation, running a verify-rebuild-verify every month to ensure data corruption is not present). It also depends on:

Speed of the hard drive
Amount of RAM currently available
Location in relation to RAD's installation (eg. if RAD is on C:\ but the company file is kept externally on USB, then it will rely on the USB's read/write speed rather than the hard drive's speed)
Available computer memory

Data truncation is a more refined procedure of selectively extracting data that should not cause issues with the company file, or removal of the audit trail to a specific point. This is handled by experts within the business as to ensure a healthy operating file after the process.

The reason CUCD is within the software is for smaller files that may have erroneous data entered into it. We would not recommend it as a means of decreasing company file size, as it can cause issues if used improperly.

Kind regards,

Alexander McKeown

Reckon Senior Technical Support

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