> I have not looked into Sweeps a whole lot yet... Are they a better solution
> to db maintenance than a backup and restore? Are there any differences in
> what the final outcome is?

I just set sweep interval to 0 and run it manually when the
system is quiet. Backup and Restore should not be needed if
the applications are running cleanly - if you are running
BDE then THAT has to go first <g>.

> Our upgrades involve a bunch of sql to reconstruct their current database
> into the shape we want it... As such, it's a good idea to backup and
> restore after this... I think our insert triggers would tear us apart if we
> tried to pump to a new db...

If you are reconstructing the existing database, then you
have to shut down everybody else anyway, so a final backup
and restore should not be a problem. BUT I would still say
that it is the wrong way to be doing things. You need a
fully tested and working NEW database before you even start
the upgrade, so simply dumping - with processing - the
information from the OLD format should not be a problem. The
only time I do online changes is if I simply need an extra
field for something before we do a proper update.

--
Lester Caine
-----------------------------
L.S.Caine Electronic Services