Abstract: A healthcare database management offline backup and synchronization system having an active database for storing active records and an archive database for storing inactive records. The databases are coupled by a communication link and the system is able to transfer and store records that have become inactive from the active database to the archive database. The database records are archived and purged based on predefined rules. The system allows continuous access to a local medical depot computer database on a network even when the network link is severed. The system updates local and central computer databases regularly, while the link is active and synchronizes database records after computer communications are restored.

Abstract: A method or system for obtaining information from a bar code comprising the steps of maintaining a database of a plurality of algorithms for decoding a bar code, scanning a bar code associated with a particular item, determining the length of the bar code, identifying algorithms from said database for decoding a bar code of the determined length, applying the identified algorithms to the scanned bar code, and verifying one of the identified algorithms as a correct algorithm for obtaining and utilizing information or data from the scanned bar code. The verifying step can be determining if a segment of the scanned bar code contains a portion of the information of the scanned bar code within an expected range for the chosen segment.