Moving the Sparsebundle in Server Settings (12.5 and earlier)

It is important to note that before moving the sparsebundle for any reason, you must create a backup of the MacPractice database before proceeding and all users must be logged out of MacPractice while the action is performed.

In MacPractice 12.11, we moved some of this functionality to the Server Management App. Please peruse that article for more information if you are on Build 12.11 and above.

The default location of the MacPracticeData.sparsebundle is in /Library/MacPracticeServer. Some offices may choose to relocate the file for various reasons, the primary one being disk space. The sparsebundle file will continue to grow in size as data gets added, so a separate hard drive to house that precious file can be advantageous for offices with a large dataset.

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There is a simple way to migrate the sparsebundle from one location to another in the Server Settings pane located in the Database Connection Settings section of the MacPractice log in window. To access this, you'll select the gear in the upper right corner of the log in window, and then click on the Server Settings button. You'll then be required to authenticate to proceed. This requires an OS administrator username and password. Once unlocked, you should see this window:

The text box next to the Select Location button displays the current location of the MacPractice sparsebundle in your file system. Click 'Select Location...' to open a finder window that will allow you to navigate to the new directory of your choice to move your sparsebundle. Once that location is selected, choose 'Open' and you'll be redirected to the Server Settings pane once more. Note that the location of local data storage text will change to the directory you've just selected. Click Save to proceed with moving the file.

You'll first be prompted to create a backup of your database prior to moving the file. If you've already created a backup, you can select 'Skip,' but if you are unsure, always err on the side of caution with the database and create that backup.

There will be another prompt to authenticate to approve moving the sparsebundle which will require the OS admin password. Once that password is entered, the window will dim and you will see a spinning progress wheel that says 'saving.' This process may take quite a bit of time to save depending on the size of the sparsebundle you are moving. Once the saving process is finished, you'll be prompted to authenticate once more. You'll be returned to the Database Connection Settings pane once the transfer of the file is complete. You can verify that your sparsebundle is in it's new directory location, rather than the old. Finish the process by logging in and making sure all entries in MacPractice look as they should.