Database Backup

All SPRING Databases are defined with a directory using a path indicated when the database was created, thus a backup has to be created for this directory and all its sub directories.

Before starting the database backup, check if the media that will be used has the required capacity to store the whole database. If the database is larger than the media it is possible to execute a data compression before the backup.


DBASE or ACCESS DBMS

The WinZip Utility ( windows.gif - 1353 Bytes)

One of the most common file compression utility software used for Windows environment is the WinZip utility, which can be downloaded from several web sites in the Internet or at " http://www.winzip.com".

See next a procedure to compress/decompress a database.


Compressing a SPRING database using WinZip:

  • select the Windows folder (directory) corresponding to the Spring database, using the Windows Explorer;
  • click using the mouse right button (RB) on the database name;
  • select the Add to Zip option and than the "Add" window is opened. It is possible to change the name of the Zip file if desired;
  • click on Add.

After the *.zip file is generated, use the most adequate media (cdrom, zipdrive, jazdrive, etc.), to store the database.


To decompress a Zip file corresponding to a database, remember that when the Zip file was created only the files and sub directories under the corresponding database were compressed. Thus it will be required to create a new folder and inside this new folder the zip file should be decompressed. See how to do it next.


decompressing a Spring database using WinZip:

  • create a new folder where the file will be decompressed;
  • click on the Zip file;
  • click on Extract in the WinZip window;
  • in the "Extract" window select the folder just created and notice if the All Files option and Use Folder Names option are selected;
  • click on Extract.

 


 

SPRING Backups in systems that are compatible with UNIX

The SPRING Database backups can be stored using compressed files or not, it depends only on the media capacity where the database will be stored. If you are using the Linux system, it is possible to compress and decompress files using the commands showed on the next example. You will find more details of these commands at UNIX - basic concepts.

Example:
   tar cvf  /dev/rmt/0 DATABASE1
                DATABASE1 structured backup for the tape unit defined at "/dev/rmt/0".
 
   tar cvf - DATABASE1 | gzip > DATABASE.tgz
                group the DATABASE files and compress them in DATABASE.tgz in the
                current directory.

 
   tar cvf - DATABASE1 | compress > DATABASE.tar
                executes the same procedure as the previous one, but uses the
                compress procedure to compress the data.

   gzip -dc DATABASE1.tgz | tar xvf -
                decompress the DATABASE1.tgz and ungroup the files,
                recovering the SPRING files structure.


NOTE: When using a tar command to group the files and directories related to a SPRING database, and then compress them using the gzip, usually the file extension *.tgz or *.tar.gz.

MySQL, PostgreSQL or Oracle DBMS:

In these managers, the geographical structure (lines. polygons, images etc) are located in the database/project directory. Thus, the backup of this structure is performed as described above.  But the tables ( data models, projection, objects etc) are located in the manager server of the specified database. So, it is necessary to use a specific tool for each manager to perform the database backup.


See also:
Deleting a SPRING Database
About SPRING
Notions of the UNIX operating system