Overview

GBAK Scheduler is an Interbase / Firebird utility that performs regular database backups with a user defined strategy. The main feature is to preserve a required number of backups to allow data recovery for previous days.

GBAK Scheduler keeps several backups on your disks (for example 4 a day for 30 days) so you can solve your possible database problem with the preferred copy (not always the last).

GBAK Scheduler is safe because it doesn't perform backup itself, but runs your copy of GBAK.EXE.

GBAK Scheduler uses few system resources and can run as an application or a Windows NT service. It can run in automatic (loaded and started at startup) or manual mode and can run

your backup tasks whenever you want with the Execute now! command, without waiting for the scheduled time.

GBAK Scheduler doesn't support incremental backup (new in Firebird 2.0 and Interbase 2007).

MAIN FEATURES

Mirror: Creates double copies of your backups on different disks/computers for extra protection against disk crashes. FTP mirror is supported (custom proxy settings available).

Zip compression: Compress your backup file with industrial standard Zip format to save disks space.

Priority selection: GBAK Scheduler can run GBAK.EXE in Idle, Normal or High priority.

Log information: Creates a simple or detailed log file to supervise backup tasks. Gbak part of the log can be included in zip archive.

E-mail notification: Sends log information directly on your remote workstation.

Backup strategy: With GBAK Scheduler you can select your preferred backup rotation scheme or choose Smart set to keep last 6 months backups on line.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

To use GBAK Scheduler, you must have Windows 95/98 or Windows NT and, obviously, Interbase or Firebird.

The copy of GBAK installed by Local Interbase doesn't perform remote backups. Use Interbase workgroup server or Interbase developer client instead.

For e-mail notification you must have a TCP/IP connection and a mail account with an ISP (Internet Service Provider) or an Internet-style network, providing an SMTP service.

GBAK Scheduler was developed and tested on Windows 95 (4.00.950a), Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 (sp3-sp6), Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows 2008 Server and Windows 7 (32 & 64 bit).

INSTALLATION

This is the content of the distribution archive GBAKSchd.zip:

• GBAKSchd.exe: Main program for either Windows 95/98 and NT
• GBAKSchd.hlp: On line help
• GBAKSrvc.exe: Windows NT service
• ZipDll.dll: Info-Zip compression library (DelZIP179.dll in v 1.0.1 and newer)
• ReadMe.txt: ReadMe file
• License.txt: License file
• File_id.diz: Standard BBS Diz file
• ChangeLog.txt: List of changes (since version 1.0.1)
• service_install.bat: Script to install service (since version 1.0.12)
• service_remove.bat: Script to remove service (since version 1.0.12)
• Faq.txt: Frequently asked questions (since version 1.0.12)
• ssleay32.dll: Email SSL/TLS support (since version 1.0.13)
• libeay32.dll: Email SSL/TLS support (since version 1.0.13)
• OpenSSL License.txt: License file for SSL/TLS support

To install GBAK Scheduler simply extract all files in this archive to a directory (you must have read/write permissions over the installation directory). Then you can start the application running GBAKSchd.exe.

GBAK Scheduler doesn't install any files in the system directory and modifies the registry only in two circumstances:

a.) If you run the program over Windows 95/98 and select the automatic startup option , GBAK Scheduler inserts the value GBAKSchd=application_path in the key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.

b.) If you run the program over Windows NT and select the service startup option, GBAK Scheduler installs the service and Windows NT creates some entry in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key to update the Windows service manager.

For installation of the service (Windows NT) you can both run GBAKSrvc.exe /install or select the service startup options from the main program (recommended).

To remove the service (Windows NT) from the Windows service manager you can both run GBAKSrvc.exe /remove or select the application startup options from the main program (recommended).

UNINSTALLATION

To uninstall GBAK Scheduler you must first select the application startup - manual mode option from the main program and then remove the entire GBAK Scheduler directory. With this procedure you are sure that all the registry entries of GBAK Scheduler will be removed.

If you don't set the application startup - manual mode option from the main program before deleting the installation directory, some entries of the registry could persist.

c 1997 Mauro Barbieri