--- In ib-support@yahoogroups.com, ir000387@m... wrote:

> If I run GBAK and include garbage collection in the backup process,

is this equivalent to running a SWEEP on the live database?

Don, no. Main purpose of sweep is to move OIT. There are fine
articles on www.ibhoenix.com on this. In passing sweep make garbage
collection too as side effect.

> In other

words, does the database being backed up get garbage collected?

Not shure I understand question. If you mean will .gbk contain
garbage or not - never, regardless of options. If you mean garbage
collection in source database - yes, if you do'nt specify -g on backup
and state of transactions don't prevent collection.

> I'm trying to decide whether to schedule a SWEEP or a BACKUP (or

both) every week on my database...

It's different beasts. I use gbak -g to speed up backup and start
control restore in another file on another machine simultaneously with
sweep on source database.

Best regards, Alexander V.Nevsky.