Since nbackup locks a db and causes a delta file to be created and written to for the duration of the file lock, would it be possible/feasible in an OLTP environment to:

Lock a file using nbackup

Backup the file using gbak

Restore the file using gbak, overwriting the original file

Unlock the file using nbackup, causing the delta file to be merged

???

I'm thinking this would be a way to reclaim lost space in an OLTP system's db file without kicking off the users during the backup and without losing any data.

How much load can this delta file handle? How long does it take to merge back x amount of data in a delta? When the transition from main file to delta takes place, are there any hiccups/delays, or is it completely transparent to the system performance?

Thanks for any responses.

David Keith