I have created a database on Firebird 1.5 Super Server on RedHat Linux 9.
All was going great, and then for some mysterious reason the entire database
'disappeared' off the server. Probably something someone here did, but I
did have a backup file (at least that is what I thought).

I was using EMS Interbase/Firebird Manager which has a built in Backup
system to the database. It runs fine, and appears to work. However one
slight problem - although it says that it has created a backup file, there
is no backup file to be found. So when I went to restore from a backup, of
course, no backup.

Well Plan B. I created a SQL script file containing all the metadata
definitions for this database (luckily its in development, so there is no
physical data in the database that we need - just the definitions). The
Metadata file looks fine, and I was able to run it in with ISQL from a Linux
command prompt.

However one thing I have noticed - there seems to be a limit to the number
of lines that can be processed by ISQL before choking. Looks like its about
20 lines. So I had to cut & paste this definition file in, in pieces. It
did work eventually so I am backup and running.

But now having gone through this experience, I wanted to get answers to the
following questions:

1. Is there a decent Windows based tool that can take a file with about
1,500 lines of SQL DDL and run it into Firebird? Any recommendations? I
tried to use the EMS product to do this but its failing also.

2. I tried the following:

Isql < /home/user/sql_metadata.txt

which didn't work. Is there a better way?

3. Is there an overall tool that people can recommend that can
successfully backup a database FROM a remote client, rather than doing this
from the server?

Thanks in advance for any tips.

Myles

===========================
Myles Wakeham
Director of Engineering
Tech Solutions Inc.
Scottsdale, Arizona USA
Phone (480) 451-7440
Web: www.techsol.org