An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure!

We spend a lot of time troubleshooting Miva Merchant issues, many of which are preventable. Fortunately, users of Miva Merchant often need only follow a few steps to troubleshoot issues and keep their online stores running clean.
Delete & Pack
Miva Merchant 4.x and lower database files are DB III compliant (which gives us flexibility to import and export data to and from many applications), and when any items (products, orders, categories, etc.) are deleted in the store, they are flagged for deletion in the appropriate database. The process of packing those databases after you delete something keeps database files running clean and lessens the possibility of record numbers being reused. Reused record numbers are called “dupes” and can cause corruption of the database files themselves.

Abandoned shopping baskets can also make some database files grow quite large which can lead to performance problems. Picture a supermarket with aisles full of shopping carts containing items with no one using them! This is why there is a method to delete expired shopping baskets. Deletion of baskets should always be followed by packing the store. Using the Delete and Pack routines under the store's and the domain's utilities branches is the most important step every user should take to keep their Miva Merchant stores in top shape.

Keep Modules Updated
Frequently checking for module updates will ensure your store is utilizing the latest module's features, with the fewest bugs possible. Updating a module is normally the first step in troubleshooting a conflict with a module.

Third-Party Modules
Not all third-party modules work flawlessly with other modules, or even Miva Merchant itself. That's why it is key to read documentation and also think logically when considering, installing and configuring modules that need to work with others. Keep in mind that some modules just won't work with others, especially if they both are written to customize a screen (product, category, etc,) and some modules have to be "called in" to other modules. For example, a module that overwrites the entire product screen would need to call in the functionality of a module that changes the way product images are displayed or manipulates bulk pricing of a product.

Don't Ignore Problems
You wouldn't ignore a clicking sound in your car's engine, well, maybe you would, but it wouldn't be a wise choice. The same goes for Miva Merchant. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Be sure to take the steps necessary to keep your store running smoothly and fix problems as they occur. Repairing a corrupt database can cause data loss and store downtime.

References:
Miva Merchant 4 Help Guide
Module updates
Miva Community Forums
Miva FAQ’s
Delete & Pack KB Article