Open Acesss DB Backups

Is there a supported/official way to backup open Access Databases ?

We have an Access97 DB that is open 24/7, that ideally needs to backed
up every night without disconnecting every user/process.

Just copying the .MDB file appears to work, but am cautious as to
whether this could produce an inconsistent database.

Does anybody else have this requirement too ? If so how do you manage
the situation ?

The DB is currently Access97, but this could be upgraded to a newer
version if this functionality is available in 2000/XP e.t.c

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

AFAIK, there is no truly consistent way to create a backup copy of an open
Access (JET) database.

The results are likely to be inconsistent (potentially corrupt) if a change
is made to the data during the copy process, and if the database open you
can't guarantee that won't happen.

It is easy enough to loop through all the tables and export the data, but
this has the same issue: the results may be inconsistent.

--
Allen Browne - Microsoft MVP. Perth, Western Australia.
Tips for Access users - http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html
Reply to group, rather than allenbrowne at mvps dot org.

"Jefferson Humber" <matrix01@globalnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:d9bmnq$n9m$1@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...[color=blue]
> Is there a supported/official way to backup open Access Databases ?
>
> We have an Access97 DB that is open 24/7, that ideally needs to backed up
> every night without disconnecting every user/process.
>
> Just copying the .MDB file appears to work, but am cautious as to whether
> this could produce an inconsistent database.
>
> Does anybody else have this requirement too ? If so how do you manage the
> situation ?
>
> The DB is currently Access97, but this could be upgraded to a newer
> version if this functionality is available in 2000/XP e.t.c
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Jeff[/color]

"Allen Browne" wrote
[color=blue]
> AFAIK, there is no truly consistent
> way to create a backup copy of an
> open Access (JET) database.[/color]

To add to Allen's accurate answer, Access and Jet were never intended for
heavy-duty, industrial-strength, 24/7 operation.

In fact, the uses to which Access and Jet have been put by enthusiastic
users have surprised even the designers and implementers of Access. It is
far more capable than most any other "desktop database", but your
requirements are just a bit too much.

If you must "take a chance" on doing this, your best bet would be to run the
copy at an "off-hour" when usage should be low or nil. But, you'd best try
opening the backup and seeing if it was successful right after or shortly
after it is backed up.

Your best bet, of course, is to obtain and use a database that was designed
for the type of use you describe. There are many available, commercial,
shareware, and freeware. I wouldn't presume to recommend a particular one,
but have worked in shops that used Informix, Microsoft SQL Server, and
Sybase SQL Server and were happy with them. (I also used Sybase SQL
Anywhere, but only in an offsite development environment, developing Access
clients for use with Informix.)

You can contine to use your Access application, likely with very minor
changes, as the client application (none of those I mention have a user
interface -- they are databases).

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP