Eventually your PortfolioCenter database will grow too large. It’s a data graveyard: Data goes in but never comes out. At some point you may want to create a database to archive dropped clients and keep it separate from your production database. Here’s how to do it.

Before beginning

  • Post and reconcile all data.
  • Make sure all dropped clients are properly marked. I like to put ZZ in the last name field, in addition to checking the Closed Account  box and filling in the Closed Account date.
  • Create a set that contains the active clients, including any closed accounts they own. You want to keep them for historical performance.
  • Create a set that contains the clients you want to archive. For example, if you want to archive all the clients on dropped on or before 12/31/2019, your set would look like this:
  • Update all sets

Backup the production database.

  • Keep a copy of this backup until we’re sure everything worked properly.

Restore the backup to a new Archive Database.

  • Open PortfolioCenter Management Console.
  • Click on Database Manager
  • RIGHT-click on (local)\Portfoliocenter
  • Restore database
  • Select your recent backup.
  • RESTORE AS Database: [type the name of the new database, e.g. Archive2019]
  • OK
  • You should receive the message “Database Restored Successfully.”

In the Archive Database, delete the Active clients

  • Open the new archive database
  • On the Main Portfolios Tab, select Tools, Batch Delete Portfolios
  • Set and all its members: ACTIVE  (Or you can manually select the accounts you want to delete.)
  • Next
  • UNCHECK copy portfolios and groups (Unchecking this field will delete the portfolios and groups. Check this field to copy them to another dataset.)
  • Next
  • Review the list for errors.  It can be exported to Excel for easier review.
  • Cancel if you find errors and need to make changes.
  • When you’re ready click FINISH.

Cleanup the Archive database

  • Delete Transaction Writer Lists
  • Clean out the Interface files, including cost basis reconciliation files.
  • Reindex database.

In the Production database, delete the dropped clients

Repeat the above process in the production database to delete the dropped clients and then reindex the production database.

NOTE: If you have different datasets, your process may work differently.

Photo by Marcel L. on Unsplash