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There is an unbreakable Golden Rule for users of computers: Backing up data is essential! You can be certain that if you do not back up your data, one day your computer will crash and you will lose everything. The Backup function creates a backup copy of the database file - HearAid.fdb - in the folder specified in Tools|Options|Database & Analysis|Server; the backup file is called HearAid.fbk by default, although you can specify a different name if you want to have multiple backup files, and is compressed to about half the size of the original database file

To be sure that all data is copied into the backup it is essential that only a single user is connected to the database when the Backup is performed! Whenever a user logs off HearAid, the program can automatically check to see if that user is the only one connected and, if so, offer to make a backup. HearAid will also warn you if you use Backup while other users are still connected.

•It is good practice to periodically backup and then immediately restore from the backup file; doing so compacts the database and re-balances table indices. It is suggested you might like to Purge Log Files before you do this

•The HAConfig utility installed in the ..\HearSoft\HearAid folder can also be used to backup without starting HearAid

Automating Backups

The Firebird database engine has a utility which can be used to automate backups e.g. by creating a batch file which is executed using Windows scheduling functions. For example, assuming that

•Firebird is installed in C:\Firebird

•The database is C:\HearSoft\Database\HearAid.fdb

•The backup folder is C:\HearSoft\Database and the backup file is to be called HearAid.fbk

•The SYSDBA account is to be used to connect to the backup service

•The default SYSDBA password is masterkey

Then the backup command takes this format:

C:\Firebird\Bin\gbak -backup -user sysdba -password masterkey C:\HearSoft\Database\HearAid.fdb C:\HearSoft\Database\HearAid.fbk

There are obvious security risks associated with this! Notably, the username and password are clearly revealed in plain text!! If you plan to use an automated backup procedure you MUST

1.Run the batch file as a Windows Administrator

2.Use Windows security to hide the batch file from unauthorised users