Refreshing view indexes

A view index is an internal filing system that builds a list of documents that belong in a view. When users add or change documents, the view index must be refreshed to show them which documents are new or changed. Refreshing a view index can occur manually when users press F9, as part of a condition built into the view design, or as part of the Updall (Update ALL) server process set up by the server administrator.

You can either create a full-text index for a database or allow users create a full-text index. If you want to maintain control over creating an index, choose the option "Restrict initial index build to designer or manager."

Refresh time options

To determine when to refresh an individual view, select a "Refresh index" option from the Advanced tab of the View Properties box.

  • Auto, after first use (default)

    Updates the view every time a user opens a view after the first time.

  • Automatic

    Updates the view whether or not users ever open the database. With this option, infrequently used views open more quickly , but the view index occupies space and requires server processing time to update, even if the view is never used.

  • Manual

    Relies on the user to refresh the view. This option is useful for large databases that don't need to stay up to date (for instance, because their data changes very seldom). With this option, views open very quickly. Users can press F9 to refresh the view if they need the view to be up to date.

  • Auto, at most every n hours

    Controls how frequently the view index updates. This option is best for "lookup views" and other frequently used views whose data changes seldom, especially when they are in a large database. The view index updates automatically, but no more frequently than the specified interval. When a user opens a view in which changes have been made since the last indexing, the refresh icon appears, and the user can press F9 to refresh the view manually.

    If the document-selection formula is time based, refresh the index as often as new documents are added. For example, if the view selects documents once a day, select Auto, at most once every 24 hours, to refresh the view index once daily.

Refresh display options

The On Refresh options on the Options tab of the View Properties box determine how users see the changes in a view. The choices are:

  • Display indicator

    Does not show view changes automatically. Instead, the refresh icon appears in the view and users must click the icon to see any changes.

  • Refresh display

    Refreshes the display automatically before showing the view to users.

  • Refresh display from first row

    Updates the view from the beginning. This is useful in a reverse chronological display where users are likely to look for changes at the beginning of the view first.

  • Refresh display from last row

    Updates the view from the end to the beginning. This is useful in a chronological display where users are likely to look for changes at the end of the view first.

Discard index options

To delete indexes automatically for a particular view and save disk space, specify a "Discard index" option from the Advanced tab of the View Properties box. (Note that when users open a view whose index has been discarded, they may have to wait for Domino® to recreate a view index.) These settings override the NOTES.INI setting "Default_Index_Lifetime_Days," which the server administrator sets and which, by default, deletes view indexes after 45 days.

  • After each use

    Deletes the view index as soon as the user closes the database. This option saves the most disk space, but the index must be rebuilt the next time the view is opened. Choose this option for views that are used infrequently, but on a predictable basis -- for example, a view that an agent opens only on Friday afternoons.

  • If inactive for n days

    Deletes a view index if the view hasn't been used in a specified number of days. Domino® rebuilds the view index the next time a user opens the database. (This option doesn't affect local databases.) Choose this option for databases that users infrequently or unpredictably need.

  • If inactive for 45 days

    Preserves the view index and appends updates to the existing index unless the view is inactive for 45 days, in which case the index is discarded. Because this option takes up more disk space than the other options, use this only for views that users frequently need, so they don't have to wait for a new view index to be created when they open the database.

When the view index is deleted

The Updall (Update All) server task, which runs by default on each server at 2 AM, deletes the view index. Domino® deletes the index the first time Updall runs after the index becomes eligible for deletion. For example, if you select "After each use" and the view is used at 10 AM Tuesday, the index is not actually discarded until 2 AM Wednesday.

If you choose to delete the index after one day, Domino® waits until the index is at least one day (24 hours) old before deleting it. If the view is used at 10 AM Tuesday, it is only 16 hours old at 2 AM Wednesday when Updall runs, so it is not deleted until the next time Updall runs at 2 AM Thursday.

For more information, see Administering the Domino® System.