Elliott 8.6 Databases Convention & Report Desk/PowerSearch
Revision Date: 4/11/2022



Version: 8.6
Elliott 8.6 Databases Naming Convention
Starting with Elliott 8.6, the system supports a "Report Desk" and "PowerSearch" feature which are based on the PSQL relational database engine. Databases must be created for Report Desk and PwoerSearch to work. By default, "Report Desk" and "PowerSearch" expect the following database names be created on the PSQL server:
- ELI86ROOT - This is based on the DDF files in the <ElliottRoot>\Bin86\DDFROOT\STDDDF folder. <ElliottRoot> refers to your Elliott root folder like "M:\Elliott7." The EL86ROOT database points to the BTR files in the <ElliottRoot> folder for those tables shared across all companies. This includes Report Desk database tables (i.e., SYRD*.TR files,) security and other miscellaneous tables.
- ELI86DATA?? - This can be ELI86DATA for the database in <ElliottRoot>\DATA folder (i.e., company 01) and EL86DATA02 - 99 for databases in <ElliottRoot>\DATA_02 - 99 for company 02 - 99 . This is based on the DDF files in <ElliottRoot>\Bin86\DDF40\STDDDF.
Elliott86.exe installation utility can help you to create EL86ROOT & ELI86DATA?? databases automatically on a PSQL server upon the installation of Elliott 8.6 for the first time or for future updates. If you did not do that, you can also run EL860DB.EXE by browsing to the <ElliottRoot>\Bin86 folder. Lastly, you can manually create these databases through the PSQL Control Center. If you did not create these necessary databases, you will not be able to use the Report Desk or Power Search features.
Transactional and Relational DDF Files
DDF Files are the definition of Elliott's database schema. You will need these DDF files in order to access the Elliott database through the PSQL relational engine. There are two types of DDF files: transactional and relational.
Transactional DDF Files
These are *.DDF files in the following two folders:
- <ElliottRoot>\Bin86\DDF40
- <ElliottRoot>\Bin86\DDFROOT
Relational DDF Files
These are *.DDF files in the following two folders:
- <ElliottRoot>\Bin86\DDF40\STDDDF
- <ElliottRoot>\Bin86\DDFROOT\STDDDF
Updating Relational DDF Files
Since relational DDF files should be updated too, it is up to your IT to compare transactional DDF files and relational DDF files after the update installation. The easier way is simply to look at the date of the DDF files in the corresponding folders to see if they are changed. if they are different. The solution is simply to copy those DDF files from the transactional DDF files folder (e.g., <ElliottRoot>\Bin86\DDF40) to the relational DDF files folder (e.g., <ElliottRoot>\Bin86\DDF40\STDDDF):

But before you do this, you need to check to see if the relational DDF files are open in the PSQL monitor utility. See sample screen below:

If you can't find the users who opened these DDF files, then you may consider stopping and restarting the PSQL Relational Engine Services to clear the connection. It won't affect Elliott's operation. But it will affect all other applications that depend on the PSQL relational engine. Consider doing this during the evening. See sample screen below:

EMK