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Fastbase Accounting System - Online Manual

Backup FastBase

Document 102628/1

Entered Wed, 4 Dec 2002 11:51 by Peter Campbell
Updated Tue, 27 Jun 2006 14:32
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The FastBase database must be backed up on a daily basis, this procedure should be configured by your FastBase support staff before they leave the premises. It is important.

Each client must also backup the database files onto a tape, CD, DVD or other removable media. It is recommended that you backup the entire c:/fbase folder.

The following notes will help you configure the daily backup.

Setup Files

The setup.dat file must have the following two entries:

set setup(backup_source) "path_to_mysql_data_files"

set setup(backup_destination) "path_to_backup"

The paths should be set as they would be used on the computer that is responsible for doing the backups, usually this is the file server. Use forward slashes instead of backslashes to represent directory names, eg: "c:/mysql/data/company" and "c:/fbase/backup".

Configure Daily Backup

Create a file which is acessible on the computers path called "fbbackup.bat", eg: create this file in C:\WINDOWS (if editing the file with wordpad then make sure it is saved as type text document).
The file should look like this:

c:

cd \fbase\new

c:\tcl\bin\tclsh84 backup.tcl

Run the following command from the "cmd" prompt, this will create an entry in the computers scheduler to run the backup at 10pm every Monday-Friday (NT class computers).

at 22:00 /every:M,T,W,Th,F fbbackup.bat

To schedule the backup to run on a UNIX server edit the cronjob file for a user with sufficient rights to access the database directory and backup destination directory.

crontab -e

Example crontab entry (this backs up the database at 11pm):

# Backup mysql database

00      23      *       *       1-5     cd /home/samba/apps/fbase/new ; tclsh backup.tcl >/dev/null

Additional Backup Notes

When the backup script is run and a successful backup is completed FastBase records the date/time in the SYSTEM file.

When a user exits FastBase the system checks if the computer can do a backup (by checking that the backup source and destination directories exist). The system then checks when the last backup was completed, if it is more than 24hrs ago the computer asks if you want to do a backup now. This option would not normally appear to the user as the system would be backing up automatically late at night.

When a user logs into FastBase the system also checks the last backup date. If this is more than 7 days ago your are strongly warned to complete a backup now. An email notification is also sent to your FastBase support staff.