Doug,

> > The NBackup functionality allows a database file to be quiesced (with
> > changes written to a delta file) to allow for OS level backups to be
> > performed (thru Lock and Unlock options).
> But doesn't that just move the potential conflict to the delta file, leaving you
> with the same issue but in a different place? I don't see that it really
> improves things all that much.

The solution for that problem is to exclude the delta file extension from the backup settings.

>> Well, on further thought I suppose the original database file could then be
> thought of as internally consistent as of the time NBackup was started. Is that
> what you were getting at?

Correct!

> > Nbackup can be invoked thru a BAT or script file, as well as via SQL
> > statements.
> But none of those are really an API designed for this specific purpose.
> Do any backup systems make use of NBackup to control a Firebird database
> during backup operations? Anyone know?

Commercial solutions? No.

But most backup software provides the ability to execute pre and post scripts before the backups actually runs.

This allows you to do whatever you need to setup the system/disk/data to be in a backup ready condition.


Sean

P.S. Certainly for Windows backup solutions, most of them use the native Windows VSS functionality to create a "safe" snapshot of the files prior to the backup starting. So, no file read/write collisions are possible -- the backup operates against the snapshot data/files not the live files.