i try to backup my navision native database thru navision backup. actual db size is around 20 gb , but the backup is creating 3 files of sizes around 2 gb… why this is happening
my configuration is :
Backup: Entire backup
selected companies (selected)
data common to all databases (selected)
application objects (selected)
Navision continues to maintain some of the limitations imposed by older server operating systems. 2 GB used to be the partition size limit. This is normal Navsion behavior, do’t worry about it. Just don’t lose any files.
Note that the second, third and any other backup files are identified by adding 1 to each file. e.g.
file 1 = backup
file 2 = backup1
file3 = backup2
.
And if your filename does end in a number, the Navision-backup doesn’t add a number when it reached the end of the first file. Noticed this, when after some time, the backup stopped and I had to restart it! [:’(][:@]
our database is big so teh backup ends up creating 2 backup files. I usually do create backups with ending in a number…For example BackupSep21 and it will create a second file as BackupSep22… I am using Navision 3.7A
Try using the file name:
BackupSep21_01.fbk
then the second one will be
BackupSep21_02.fbk
I always forget to name them properly, but I usually prefer to name them like this, very similiar to David’s method:
nav20061010_01.fbk
This includes the entire date, and allows for the file splitting that is done.
And besides not losing any of the files, don’t rename them either.
So try Sep21Backup, or Backup21Sep… make sure the file name doesn’t end in a number
No this is not my method, I was just helping Amer Ms (pity she doesn’t have real name [:@] ) to modify hers.
My naming convention is quite strict, and is always
“CustName YYYYMMDD_Ver Descriptive text .EXT”
and this goes for ALL files objects, backups etc. Eg
GoLive 20061025_03 Sales Person profit report.fob
GoLive 20060922_01 Backup prior to Rename testing.fbk
etc.
This way I can always find the files, and know when they were made, and for who
I do use this format as well… Its just anything ending with number so it helps me keep track of both the files.
Thanks David!!
Keep in mind the name does not need to END in a number. Navision finds the LAST number in the text name, and thats what it increments. Thats why I put all descriptive text after the number, so that in the File Explorer everything is sorted properly.
PS It would be really cool if you would put a name in your profile.
Just my 2 cents a month late. But did you consider compression or deletion of various documents to reduce the size.
Then performing a backup and a restore to a new clean database.
This will reduce the size alot.
If you need to keep that match old data. Then copy the database to another location for historical purposes and just have recent 1 or 2 year old data in the current live database.
Just a suggestion.
Good day all
I do have similar database size i.e 20Gb. When doing backup within navision the backup size of all files comes up to 4.Gb whereas when using ‘hotcopy’ the backup file is 20 Gb. my question is , instead of using the hotcopy program ,how can i schedule the backup of the database from within navision so as in final the backup file is 4Gb (i.e same as ‘tools’ → ‘backup’ ). Or is there any other thirdparty tools that can do the backup in the same way.
Thanking you all for youe suggestions.
Rgds
Nishan
Navision backup and Hot copy are two differnet things.
Hot copy simply takes a snap shot of the Navision database and make an exact copy at that instand. By using Navision’s internal versioning principle, it is able to take the snapshot whilst other users continue to process. Though do make sure you have plenty of free database space (you should see no more than 75% database used) so that it has room to maintain the version without killing performance.
Navision’s backup program basically only stores the primary key. Because of the way Navision works, the secondary keys can use more database space than the actual data. During a restore though Navision must go through and regenerate all these keys, which can take a long time. But also this has an advantage that whilst doing this it does a consistency check on the data.
You need to decide which solution is best for your comapny.
Personaly at a minimum, my recommendation it that each night your company makes a Hot Copy of the Navision database, keeping at least 1 weeks backups available. Then once per week create a full Navision backup, and do a complete restore onto a different machine, to ensure that the backup was successfull, and store this backup file for ever.
And this is the MINIMUM.
Hey Nishan,
ExpandIT has a tool that will do a scheduled Navision backup:
http://www.expandit.us/templates/expandit.asp?catalog_id=933