At 06:21 AM 23-08-02 -0700, you wrote:

>So where can I find documentation on what I can change live and what I
>shouldn't? I have a lot of docs, but I don't even know where to start with
>this one. :)

If you are asking "is there a document that lists the things you can change
live and the things you can't" there is no such thing. Just assume that it
doesn't make sense to change metadata when multiple transactions are going
on because you are virtually certain to encounter a dependency problem.

I don't think the IB docs state anywhere that you shouldn't try to change
the metadata of objects that are being used. They tend to suppose that you
have already acquired the knack of visualising the dynamic condition the
database when multiple tasks - including metadata changes - are isolated in
transactions.

The internal name of gfix is ALICE (a contraction of "all else"). It is a
lot more apt than "gfix" because it actually can't fix broken databases but
it does contain a miscellany of useful but unclassified utilities,
including shutdown; hence newbies often ignore it until something gets
broken. It is documented in the IB docs Operations Guide; in the Using
Firebird manual it gets its own chapter and a more task-oriented treatment.

heLen