Online Backup Server

Hello, Our environment dictates a 24x7 availibility for our Navision Database. Until now i used the integrate backup which generate fbk. Last day i simulate a breakdown server and restoring the fbk will take about 15 hours while restoring the fdb takes 2 hours (but if the database is corrupted, the only way is the fbk). Backuping the fdb need to stop the service and i can’t do it. My first question is, Has someone use successfully the openfiles backup from Arcserve or other software on the fdb. My second question is about Replicator from databackbone or DataDirector from Landsteinar. Are these products really doing what they promise : backuping and verifying data on the fly. Best regards,

First You should look at hotcopy. Standard feature since 3.01 (or was it 3.10) With Hotcopy You get fdb-files whic are ready to run. Hotcopy can run at the same time as normal users.

Thanks for your answer, but is Hotcopy checking fdb as when you create an fbk backup ?

Hotcopy tests database before backing up. Refer to the Navision Database Server Installation Guide the chapter about making backup copies. There is Hotcopy decsription including run parameters. BTW you can schedule Hotcopy using Windows Task Scheduler! -

I take a look to the docs, the questions i have now are : -What exactly HotBackup do ?(hard copy fdb, or read the source database and create the backup - C/Front Like -). -How long do the hotcopy run ?(comparing to a hard disk copy) I hope thes are the last question and that i can take a decision. regards,

Hotcopy makes exact copy of a .fdb file (not backup). Backup time depends on database size, CPU and HDD speed. For 200MB database (Test level normal) on P4 2.4GHz, 5400rpm IDE HDD it was about 10min. I don’t know what you mean with hard disk copy but if it’s simple .fdb file Copy Paste, then it’s nearly the same time + database test (time depends on DB size, CPU and maybe RAM). -

hi lessi we have a 12 gb database (in 7 file-partitions) which is copied from our server to the backup server and it lasts about 20 minutes. but as arthur said it is depending from the hardware, especially from disk performance and network performance. the best of hotcopy is the consistency of the database, but attention i would run the job during a time where you have by experience the lowest number of database modifications. so no posting jobs or so because this slows the hotcopy down very hard. try it Harry

Thanks all for your answer, i will upgrade to 3.70 and use HotCopy. But now the main question is : How to assure a 24x7 Availibility with a C/Side Database, if the database becomes corrupt. (When you test the database, a panel say to you : database is corrupted , try to test, and if fails, restore the last backup (translate from french). Has anybody some experience to share ? Regards,