--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, "Adam" <s3057043@y...> wrote:

> --- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, "Mohd. Jeffry"
> <linuxlah@g...> wrote:
> > On 6/21/05, Nigel Weeks <nweeks@e...> wrote:
> > > Hmm. How big does the file get before it stops? 2GB-ish?
> >
> > Can't tell.. the ftp cli stops with only those error
> >
> > On 6/21/05, Helen Borrie <helebor@t...> wrote:
> > > If you don't have any NTFS 5 partitions available, you can take

a

> fresh
> > > backup on your Linux (presumably ext3) system, backing up to
> multiple
> > > files. Similarly, when you restore on the FAT partition, you

can

> restore
> > > the database as multiple files of suitable sizes. Once your
> backups and
> > > database files are split into multiple files, make sure you

keep

> them
> > > together when you move backups and databases around.
> >
> > Helen,
> > So I need to restore the fbk and back it up again into smaller
> files ?
> > Can I just split the fbk using split command and just restore

back

> at
> > the windows machine? Will the db work?
> >
> > regards,
> > linuxlah
>
> Hello Linuxlah
>
> Nigel and Helen are both referring to the limitation of the FAT32
> file system which means that it can't hold more than 2GB (or 4GB
> under XP).
>
> Firstly you will need to confirm whether the volume you are trying

to

> copy to is in fact a FAT32 volume. (Also note that ftp may be
> creating a temporary file on one of the volumes as it downloads).
>
> You can split the fbk using whatever tool you like, gbak has a

built

> in option to limit it during backup.
>
> You will not be able to restore the backup on a FAT32 volume

because

> the resulting fdb file will be over 2 or 4 GB. This is not a

firebird

> restriction at all, but rather an issue with the amount of data

that

> file system can address. (Remember that a single 2GB file was
> probably considered ridiculous ten years ago, and win 9x would

never

> have been stable or secure enough to run a real dbms anyway).
>
>
> Adam

Sorry, my head must have exploded today

FAT32 can hold more than 4GB (just not a single file). As Helen
noted, it is possible to make a FDB file span multiple files. When I
said that you could not restore the backup, I was referring to the
fact that if you use some tool to split the fbk file into 2GB chunks,
then you can't join them back together on a FAT32 volume.

In either case, FAT32 has a lot of good uses, a File System for a
database server is certainly not one of them, convert it to NTFS if
you have the option.

Adam

Disclaimer: To be read in the context of my head exploding.