At 06:43 AM 13-08-02 +0000, you wrote:

>This sound like a good idea.
>
>But the problem is, that our program is sold to many people with
>little or no IT experience.
>
>Therefore they don't know what to look for, how to do things etc.
>So to make things as simpel as posible (as far as the user is
>concerned) we set up the backup software to do a FULL backup of they
>server(s).
>
>That way we know, that we have everyting.

Hmm, but a filesystem backup is NOT the way to back up your
databases. They should be backed up with GBAK - which, incidentally, can
be run quite safely whilst users are working in the database.

Let us know if I am telling you something that you already know and, if so,
please tell us why you are going ahead with a filesystem backup regardless
and are STILL asking us for ways to make that safer?

>And in a lot of other products the file doesn't get copied if its
>open.

Well, that doesn't apply to gbak, since it doesn't perform any file copying.

It is actually *worse* if your copying software just blunders ahead and
copies the database file because
1. it will lock the sector of the disk it is copying from and cause data
corruption or worse if there are users working in the database
2. it will potentially copy "rubbish", since the disk image of the
database changes constantly. The backup won't be any use; but worse, if
the file-copying processed trashed the database, then you are left with no
usable database and no usable backup.

Go figure.

>I then know the backup is usless, but the original file is still
>valid and the user can continue.

..unless the file-copying process broke the database. You know that it
can, because you have already been visited by that demon.

Listen to Woody's advice.

Helen

All for Open and Open for All
Firebird Open SQL Database · http://firebirdsql.org ·
http://users.tpg.com.au/helebor/
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