What is Navision hotcopy?

Dynamics 365 Business Central/NAV Developers Forum
1

haii…

can any of you please explain me what is Navision hotcopy?
what it used for? and how we use hotcopy…?

thanx

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

2

hotcopy is used for backing up of live native databases (by copying db files to another location).
it has some additional functions like test of db and for more information refer to administrator guide, document that you can find on navision install cd1 under Doc folder (w1w1adg.pdf)

3

I don’t agree with the term “backup” in case of HotCopy (unfortunately even Microsoft is calling it that way) …

A “Backup” is considered a feature to extract data from a database to store it on an external media as tape, DVD or something… The purpose of a backup is, to have data saved in compressed format - not to waste too much space - to be restored in case of disaster recovery.

“HotCopy” is not creating such a backup. HotCopy is actually a replication feature which copies - that’s why it’s called “Hot Copy” and not “Hot Backup” - the whole database to a remote destination including a consistency check. This copy could not be used for recovery, but for failover handling - that’s different things: means, if the original database crashes, you could switch to the hot-copied database, which is of course not a current copy, depending on the size of the db and the frequencie of hot-copying, in the worst case it’s one day old.

As mentioned above, “Hot Copy” is frequently “sold” as “automated backup solution for NAV”, which in fact it isn’t. NAV has NO automated backup feature! If you are looking for automatic backup utilities you should check out this http://www.expandit.com/templates/expandit.asp?catalog_id=616

4

I agree about term “backup”.
As for “automatic solution”, with small batch script one could have scheduled backup with hotcopy and test.

btw. is hotcopy still breaking on test failure (3.x vs. 4.x)?

5

so the point is…
hmmm like ordinary back up i used to do (Tools – backup)
is it the same of different with hotcopy?

6

Different. Tools → Backup, makes real backup of data or objects (depends of selection) and it can be restored only through navision tool again. Tools → Restore.

hotcopy, simply, copy database file/s (*.fdb) to another location. for restoring is enough to setup navision database server to point to that another location (for example).

7

So… hot copy is the same with if we copy and then paste to another place?
am i right?

8

Not really. “Hot Copy” copies while the database is online. To perform a manual copying you need to shut down the database server. Additionally, Hot Copy runs a consitency check on the db.

So, if you shut down the server, copy the db manually to a remote destination and run a manual db check on it, you are doing more or less the same as Hot Copy …

9

A backup, in general, is a copy of a computer file or files. (further information here).

Joerg, there is no need to shut down the server as long as no user is connected to the server process/task to copy the database “manually”

Even a “standard” backup programm can copy the database (e.g. during the night) as long as no user is connected. The server process does not lock the file if it is not in use and the cache is written back into the database. So no need to stop and restand the server process. However, you have to make sure NO user is connected.

HotCopy therefore is designed to copy the database (snapshot!) while the database is in use.

10

thanx anyway for all of you…
so… can you give me the steps to do the hot copy…
sorry…many question :stuck_out_tongue:

11

Refer to manual that I gave you in my first post. there you have switches and tutorial on how to use hotcopy.

You will have to, eventually, read something :slight_smile:

12

(w1w1adg.pdf) ??
heheh i already have that file
but i haven’t read it yet :stuck_out_tongue:
heheeh… okay then thanx anyway

13

Hi Walter; Yeah, I know that - actually I have a customer who was copying a 120GB database online WITH users connected … fortunately it worked … but anyway: that’s what I would NOT recommend!

14

Just to add my comments.

I have seen client that either copy the database at night, or use some software like BackupExec to copy the database. Of course “only when no one is logged in”. But in every case, some one logs in. In every case, when the crunch comes, the back up is corrupt, and of course once a week or so (even though no users were logged on), the server crashes because someone was actually “just editing a customer” when the backup was made.

I agree with Joerg on this, that if you want to use a standard copy program, then you MUST always shut down the server first.

The thing that makes HotCopy special, is that it respects the Navision version principle. There is no such thing as a Snap shot in Navision, hot copy is definitely NOT taking a snap shot of the database. It is capturing the current version, and making sure that it gets the Btree at the point that is consistent. So you can use Hot copy when users are logged in.

I must say though that my understanding of a backup, is that it gives you the information required to recreated a lost system, and I don’t really think that compression is a requirement for a valid backup. For me a backup is valid once it has been restored, and proved to be functional. Hot copy can be used for this.

15

David,
Just to add my comments.[:)]

You are correct. HotCopy respects the version principle of Navision. However, even the Navision documentation (DocID: NA-370-ING-001-v01.00-W1W1) call it “snapshot”:

16

Well I guess if Mirosoft want to call it a snapshot, then its OK to call it a snapshot. I wonder if they just do that to give new users terminology that is more familiar. [:|]

17

keepITsafe Navision Backup is the most comprehensive Navision Backup Solution available. The product can create a .fbk from Navisions own internal backup. This backup is then compressed, encrypted, and transferred off-site to keepITsafe’s secure data centres.The product provides full email success / error reporting and can even send a print screen of errors during backups to the chosen contact. keepITsafe Navision Backup even has the ability to automatically create a hotcopy and store this locally and / or off-site. The entire solution, from installation to the daily monitoring, is fully managed by experts and support is available 24 X 7.

If anyone would like some more please feel free to contact me. We also have excellent reseller programs