Do backend backup from front end? 1

[MeldrethMan]

Is it possible to trigger a backend backup either from a command button on a frontend form or when closing the frontend?

 

[lameid]

When you backup your backend (assuming Access) you want to make sure no one is using the file. So generally it would be a bad idea to use a Front end that uses the file to perform the backup.

That said if everything that has a data connection is closed you could probably get away with backing up the file...
I am not sure what you mean by 'backup'...
There are tons of resources on how to do file copies etc. in threads here and elsewhere if that is all you are trying to accomplish.

 

[MeldrethMan]

Thanks for this. My client is having the problem that the backend database (yes Access) occasionally corrupts. The backend is on the server and part of the nightly backup schedule but this means the IT support guy has to be called in to restore it.

My thought was to make a second backup copy in the same location on the server so the client could swap it over herself if a problem arose.

The problem is almost certainly better tackled at source because an attachment field is causing the backend to bloat and I think this may be the reason for the occasional corruption.

 

[lameid]

Sounds like you have a BLOB in your attachment?

Often people store hyperlinks to files in the file system instead.

That said, if that is the source of your corruption you may see improvement by putting that one table in a separate backend file... You lose relationships that increase performance but I doubt that is an issue anyway.

As far as a backup for the user... You might ask the IT group to generate and scheduled a script to copy the backend file(s) to say a backup subfolder to deal with the issue of the user being able to restore herself. Depending on the size of the organization this may or may not be a bureaucratic nightmare. Certianly if you have one admin doing everything, (s)he is surely likely to come onboard quickly.

 

[MeldrethMan]

Thanks Lameid. I'm just using Access 2007's attachment field, and the client has already increased the backend db to 400MB. Don't know about using BLOBs, so are there benefits?

It's appealing to use hyperlinks instead but I'd need an easy way of generating the full paths to image files. Any suggestions? Off to ski slopes tomorrow so will resume conversation in a week!

 

[lameid]

Attachment would be a BLOB (have not used the native Access datatypes for thes so I had to look it up)... I forget the acronymn off the top of my head but a BLOB would be any datatype that allows you to store long binary data, typically files.

In a hyperlink you can use a relative path or a full path... You mean you need a way to get the file and path?

Look at posts for o_p_e_n f_i_l_e d_i_a_l_o_g (no underscores... I just do not want this to flag as referenced for people looking for it).

 

[MeldrethMan]

Really appreciate your help, thanks.