--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, Sándor Tamás (HostWare Kft.)
<sandortamas@h...> wrote:

>
> > Ah! Gbak gets only the most recent version of records that were
> > committed when it starts - it doesn't copy old versions, so there's
> > no need for a sweep.
>
> Then what Garbage Collection stands for?
>

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/firebird-support/message/68657

(plus Ann's response).

In a nutshell,

It benefits the database you are backing up. A backup restore cycle is
an unusual event (ie. not usually nightly). Having the garbage
collected from the database while it is being backed up is a useful
way to keep the database in good shape (for those of use who hope we
will never need to use the backed up database).

Adam