On 18 Mar 2002 at 13:09, Gerhardus Geldenhuis wrote:

> Hi
> I just want to know I have a IB6 database on a NT4 server. Would it be
> save to merely copy the whole database(unconnected and servers
> stopped) to the Linuxbox and then access it with FB1. Both still use
> the same ODS so I assume it would be save. I dont want to make
> assumptions thats why I am asking. Should I rather move the datbase
> with something like gbak?
>

It has more to do with the processor type, then anything else, take an integer, which
contains 4 bytes, on an Intel x86 or a Vax the bytes are ordered thusly, 0x01,
0x02, 0x03, 0x04, the value this represents is immaterial, however to represent the
same value on a Sparc (and most other processors) for example, the bytes would
be 0x04, 0x03, 0x02, 0x01 in other words they are reversed. Between x86 Linux
and Windows 9x/NT/2K/Xp you should be able to just copy the file, I know, because
I have done it. However your better to do a backup using gbak (transportable) on
the Windows machine, and then restore that backup on the Linux machine. This
accomplishes a few of things:

1) Garbage Collection
2) You can catch any problems, such as records with NULLs but in NOT NULL
columns
3) You reset the versioning, because all records get "touched" by the restore
4) You now have a backup from the time of the conversion, that you can hide
somewhere
5) You know there are no "zombie" transactions in there.
6) You know that your restore worked (at least once)

There are probably a few more, but that's all I can think of for now.

Paul

Paul Schmidt
Tricat Technologies
paul@...
www.tricattechnologies.com