Hotcopy - can you omit DBTEST?

beetlestone · 2006-01-17

Hi there,
I work as the Development Manager for a large Navision user. It is a heavy retail environment with 60+ stores, 2-5 tills per store, all replicating to Head Office every 10-20 mins.

We use the Native Database Server and the current database size is 145Gb, split over two files.
We use ExpandIT to run a backup, but the IT Director also wants a faster recovery method.

Previously, when there was only one database file, the company used a scheduled task calling a simple DOS batch file running an XCOPY, which was effective, and took approx 75 mins to copy the 132Gb database file.

Now that we have two database files, I was going to use HotCopy. However, because HotCopy requires a DBTEST to be carried out, the timescale involved will be huge. Even carrying out a MINIMUM test will take hours.

The database could be in general use 24 hours per day.

Questions.
1. Is it possible to skip the DBTEST completely, and just copy the files?

2. Are there any alternatives to HotCopy - commercial or otherwise - which would allow us to recover the database within a couple of hours?

3. Would a commercial backup utility such as BackupExec ensure that BOTH files copied are taken or shadowed from the exact moment in time, or would it backup the second file at the point when it begins to copy it.

Regards,

JulianHarper · 2006-01-17

I suggest you look at Backup Exec 10D with the Advanced Open File Option. Using this you can backup the database onto another server in very little time.

Backup Exec 10D can do disk to disk copying by mirroring the files. Because it's doing a file based copy restoring won't take any time at all and will be down to how fast your network/disk system is. Also having the Open File Option will mean the database won't become corrupt while you're copying it.

beetlestone · 2006-01-17

Thanks Julian,

Will BackupExec make the shadow copy of both files at exactly the same time, though?

If the shadow copies are made at the point at which the file is required for copying, then surely it opens up the possibility of losing data integrity.

Presently, the company uses ArcServer v9, with no agents installed!! If we need to purchase anything, I would rather buy the product that is right for the job, as opposed to being forced to upgrade current software.

Regards,

JulianHarper · 2006-01-17

10D has the ability to keep versions of files each time a backup is done, it actually replaces the Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service.

If you have the open file option it locks the file while its backed up and any changes written to the file are stored in a shadow copy which is then written back into the file once the backup has finished. This might not be 100% techinally accurate but it's roughly what happens.

Check the Veritas website for more details but I've been using BE for about 8 years backing up active databases (Notes, Exchange, SQL and Navision) and I've never had a problem.

pindev · 2006-01-17

Maybe it is time to migrate to MS SQL Server, running large projects on the native version is somewhat not serious.

beetlestone · 2006-01-17

Thanks guys.
Migrating to SQL will possibly happen later this year. day-to-Day Performance means that Native is better at the moment.

I have just found out that using v4.00 Hotcopy allows you to use the option dbtest=CUSTOM. This would then allow for a basic test, and backup would commence sooner. I am trying this using the v3.60 version just now.

What I need to establish if that is the case, is whether using 3.60 Server and Client would mean that I cannot use v4.00 Hotcopy with a database conversion.

Cheers.

JulianHarper · 2006-01-17

beetlestone wrote:

What I need to establish if that is the case, is whether using 3.60 Server and Client would mean that I cannot use v4.00 Hotcopy with a database conversion.

Cheers.

I very much doubt you'll be able to connect to a 3.60 server using the 4.00 client.

Even if you can I would really recomend using a proper backup program to backup your database.

beetlestone · 2006-01-17

Having found a way around the DBTEST parameter, I have now hit another problem.
The Navision Server is not on the DOMAIN. It is currently running with a 900000 cache(!).
When I try to use a source file to start HOTCOPY, it reports an error 87 Incorrect Parameter.
The source file is
[Backup Files]

\Program Files\Navision\LIVE\DATABASE\Database.fdb=R:\Backup\
g:\navisiondatabase\Databasefile2.fdb=R:\Backup\

[Options]
servername=192.168.1.9
description=Navision Daily backup
dbtest=custom
Cc=No
Nettype=TCP
osauthentication=yes

Could this error be caused by the database cache?
Any other ideas?

JulianHarper · 2006-01-18

osauthentication=yes

It could be caused by a secruity problem, is the backup file being saved on a server within the domain? Can the server connect to the shared drive without having to log in?

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