Thanks for the help. I agree that shutting down only one database is
better, however in this situation it doesn't make a difference. The
reason I am shutting down the database is to knock all users off the
system. Are you saying there is some way to programatically change
access priveleges? (ie a way not involving aliases.conf) If so I'm
not aware of this.

This seems to be an answer to half of my problem, but (in reference
to the suggestion to do a disk file copy) please remember I'm not
running gbak to make an actual backup, I'm running the create and the
restore in direct succession to get rid of excess pages and reduce
the file size.

As for the question of what gbak -R does (if anything at all) to an
active shadow, I couldn't find an answer to the question anywhere.
What becomes of the shadow during gbak's backup and restore -r? Is
it necesesary to drop the shadow and then create the shadow anew
afterward?

Any help, ideas appreciated.

Rob




--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, "kranas97" <kranas97@y...>
wrote:

>
> --- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, "robert_p_levy"
> <r.p.levy@g...> wrote:
> >
> > Hello. I have a database which is shadowed on a nearby
> filesystem.
> > If I run gbak to create a backup and then call on gbak again to
> > restore from that backup-- overwriting the database, does the
> > shadowing remain intact and keep up with the change? I am
> gbaking
> > and restoring primarily to free excess pages and reduce the size
> of
> > the file. This really does make a huge difference.
> >
> > On another unrelated but similar topic, I was wondering how to
> deny
> > connections to the database or alternately the firebird server at
> > large while performing system maintainence. What I currently do
> in
> > my system maintenence script is shut the server down and bring it
> > back up before running gbak, but there is a risk that someone

will

> > log on in the window of time while gbak is still running. I
> believe
> > this may cause corruption. Is shutting down [X]INETID (and
> bringing
> > it back up after the gbak) the answer or would this interfere

with

> > gbak running?
> >
> > Thanks in advance! (And apologies if this question has been
> answered
> > elsewhere. Yahoo Groups' message search is really bad, bordering
> on
> > absurd, which is ironic since Yahoo is a search engine... hm

maybe

> > whomever is moderator might consider putting it up for vote
> whether
> > or not to move the list over to Google's new mailing list service
> or
> > to Topica?),
> > Rob
>
> Why you shutdown the server to backup the database. Consider
> for example that you have many databases. Stopping the server
> stops servicing all databases and not only the one you want
> to backup.
> You can shutdown only the database you want to backup. This
> way you can restrict limit only to SYSDBA and to the creator
> of the database (safe enough).
> You can backup or restore the database and restart it again.
>
> Also in firebird 2.0 there is a new database shutdown mode
> which "really" shuts the database and deny access to anyone.
> I suppose then you can just OS copy the database file (not sure
> of that, if anyone Knows please tell me)