HK Software Services Control Center Question

[CACox]

I am trying to use the HK Software Services Control Center to automate my backups. What kind of limitations are there on backing up databases located on a remote linux server? I have set up the Server and database names, but am not sure how to set up the "backup folder".

Thanks

[hklemt]

backupfolder should exist on the target server
use the same settings that work with gbak.exe for the same server

[CACox]

As you can see from a post I made yesterday that I am still struggling with the setup for the Services Control Center. Backup works great from IBExpert, but I can't seem to puzzle out how the various path statements need to work. This is what I am trying to do: I have my FB 1.5 databases on a remote suse linux server. I am running IBExpert and the Services Control Center from my Win XP desktop. I want to backup my databases from /DataInspector/to a directory on the linux box called /DataInspectorBackup/. The directory exists already. I have tried a number of ways to set the path (with the IP Address, w/o the address, etc.) but it never seems to work. I have checked the password, user id and they are all correct. I have included some screen shots for you to look over. I thought it might help if you actually saw how I had it set up.

Thanks again! Sorry for the multiple posts. I forgot I asked about it a year ago.

[CACox]

I have made a few modifications and believe I am much closer to getting it to work. I included a ":" with the IP Address for the server name, removed the server name from the backup folder location, and set the Gbak directory path to my local machine. The backup runs for about 4 minutes, which is similar to when I perform a backup using IBExpert, but in the end a file is not written in the backup folder directory (or anywhere else). I get this same result when I run Gbak.exe from the DOS prompt.

I don't think it is an issue with rights on the linux machine because IBExpert backups result in backup files. Does IBExpert rely on the local Gbak file? I noticed that in IBExpert the backup file name is written out for you to see, but if I try to do the same in Control Center (include it as part of the backup folder), the backup never runs.

I'm really stumped.

[hklemt]

IBEperts IDE internal menu uses services api, but backuprestore scheduler uses gbak, so there are some differences
if you find a way in gbak to make it work, we can check the backup restore scheduler to use the same params.

[CACox]

I could only figure out how to get it to work by running gbak locally, which causes the backup files to be saved locally. Everything worked as it should, but the time to back up a dozen or so databases, most less than 1GB in size, too over eight hours. Manually, I can use IBExpert to to back them up on the server in less than an hour. What I need to find is a way to run Gbak on the server side. I will keep trying....any pointers would be appreciated, as my Linux skills are very limited.

I will keep you posted.

[CACox]

I have taken another look at the problem and believe it resides in the path statement for locating the gbak file, or the way in which you are constructing the command line string. On my Linux machine, I can run the following code from the command line and get gbak to complete a backup.

/opt/firebird/bin/gbak -b -user SYSDBA -password MyPass /DataInspector/MYDATA.FDB /DataInspector/MYDATA.FBK.
However using shortened version of the -user (-u) or -password (-pa) options that Helen Borrie presents in her Firebird Book causes a failure.

In the Services Control Center I am using "/opt/firebird/bin/gbak" to define the path to gbak, user name and password,"/DataInspector/MYDATA.FDB" to declare the source, and
"/DataInspector/" to set the backup directory, but it still fails to run.

I know I have the server, user name, password, and source set up correctly because it will run when I use the gbak path to be my local machine. Because of this, I think there must be some problem in the way in which the path to gbak is being communicated to the Linux box, or that your resulting command line string may be using the shortened versions of the user and password options.

[hklemt]

IBExpert Backup Restore Scheduler is a windows only tool so it can only call the windows version of gbak.exe
it seems that you have to solve your problem on the linux side

[CACox]

Ouch! That hurts.....any plans to make it cross-platform.

[hklemt]

Ouch! That hurts.....any plans to make it cross-platform.

since most linux admins like to define similar jobs in cron jobs and batch files, i see no demand for this.

If the backup file can be temporary on the windows machine and uploaded with ftp for example
before the restore is made (for example using one the the actions in ibrs), it will also work with
linux as it is. you can try to set up all the required operations also in wine, the ibexpert IDE
runs also fine there, but until now i never tried hkscc and the services, but they might also
work.