To OFO or not to OFO, that is the question! 2

[DavidJoshua]

Folks,

I'm wondering if there are some circumstances in which OFO is not really needed (per a post I saw on an MS forum).

My situation:
Single Dell W2K Server with BUE 8.6
7 workstations
Tax and accounting programs use a database (DBF?) on the server
All users log out every night, so nothing _should_ be open, but that hasn't always been the case.
No SQL or other transactional systems

Backups fail with indication of corrupt (actually open) files. This can be turned off with a registry setting.

I think the safest thing is to get OFO, but is there any circumstance under which OFO isn't really needed?

Thanks!

-=david=-

 

[cybersaur]

DJ,

"Tax and accounting programs use a database" + "Backups fail with indication of corrupt (actually open) files" = get the OFO.
When dealing with $$$ I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Trent
Network Admin

 

[DavidJoshua]

I agree. I'm just wondering under what circumstances one _wouldn't_ need OFO.

-=david=-

 

[Narizz28]

The number one circumstance where I wouldn't use OFO for active live data files would be to use Windows built in backup to back the server up, and then capture that file to tape with BENT.

Another scenario I've heard of is to do an XCOPY of all data files to another server and the back them up with BENT from there.

Both sound kind of screwy and don't really "fit" into any best-practice I've ever heard of, but hey, in a pinch, innovation beats persperation!

 

[PiNGceNTraL]

Currently we Xcopy to our server what needs to be stored. Then using OFO to backup data off of that server works just fine. Makes life a little bit easier to deal with in a Database world.