How a backup can be done....

[bkalimili]

How can the backup be done in a database which is secured with workgroup file through access security level wizard.

Any user once the security is done must login and identify themselves.

So what does backup really mean in such scenario, do they have to copy all the 3 files, mdb,mdw and .bak files daily when doing the back up procedures.

Thanks

 

[The_Doc_Man]

do they have to copy all the 3 files, mdb,mdw and .bak files daily when doing the back up procedures.

Ideally, only the .mdb and .mdw are required. A .bak file (backup save-set) is what you copy to the tape. It is a container that should hold the .mdb and .mdw files. But you don't have to directly manipulate that file that I know of. The REAL question is not only how you would make the backup but how you would use it for recovery.

Let's say that user XYZ hoses a table and you have to recover some records that got hosed. So you recover the database and workgroup files from tape to a scratch volume. You log in to the scratch copy of this database using admin rights. You extract records from (the backup copy of) the damaged table. You export these records to a comma-delimited (or other) file. You then copy the exported data to the disk where you will IMPORT it to the "live" database.

The .BAK file never actually enters the picture as such. Now, here IS a small catch. If your DB includes references to picture files that are external to the real database, you also need to back up those files if you ever need to do a true restoration of the entire DB suite. Ditto for any other files that could be lost when a disk dies.