Progress
Database Administration
Guide and Reference


Performing a Non-Progress Backup

When performing a backup using an operating system utility instead of the Progress Backup utility, you must perform the following extra steps:

Follow these steps:

  1. Shut down the database server.
  2. Before you back up the database, you must shut down the database server. See "Starting Up and Shutting Down," for information about shutting down the database.

  3. Verify that the database is not in use.
  4. Use the PROUTIL BUSY utility to determine whether the database is in use:

    proutil dbname -C busy 
    

    The BUSY qualifier returns a code indicating whether the database is in use. You can use the codes returned by the BUSY qualifier in scripts, files, or procedures. For detailed information, see the description of the PROUTIL BUSY utility in Database Administration Utilities."

  5. Make a note of the last entry in the log file. You will use this information later to verify that the database is not used during the backup.
  6. Back up the database.
  7. Use an operating system backup utility to back up the database files. Table 6–2 in "Backup and Recovery Strategies," lists the backup options available for each operating system. Ensure that your backup technique backs up the entire file. On many UNIX systems, certain utilities (for example, cpio) back up only the first part of files that are larger than a specified size (controlled by the ULIMIT parameter). Backups of only the first portion of a database file are of no value.

  8. Verify that the backup is valid.
  9. First, compare the last entry in the log file against the entry you noted in Step 3. If an entry has been added to the log file since you checked in Step 3, the database might have been used. If the database was used during the backup, then the backup is invalid. You must perform another backup.

    Second, verify that you have backed up the entire database. The PROBKUP utility automatically backs up the proper files; with an operating system utility, you must make sure the proper files are included in the backup.

  10. Mark the database as backed up.
  11. After you have verified the backup, use the RFUTIL MARK BACKEDUP utility to mark the database as backed up:

    rfutil dbname -C mark backedup 
    

    For more information, see the description of the RFUTIL utility in Database Administration Utilities."


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