Tips on infobase backup

1C:Enterprise supports dumping Infobases to files and restoring Infobases from files. This feature is used mainly for obtaining Infobase images, irrespective of the way the data is stored. For instance, you can use the dump and restore features for converting an Infobase from the file mode to the client/server mode.

Sometimes this feature is also used to back up the Infobase, but this use has some shortcomings. The main disadvantage of this method is the need to use a single user mode to perform the operation. If an Infobase is large, the system outage may last for quite a long time, which is not always acceptable.

The following Infobase backup options are recommended, depending on 1C:Enterprise mode being used (file or client/server):

• In 1C:Enterprise file mode, you can create an Infobase backup simply by copying the 1CV8.1CD file to another directory. You can also do it with the help of data backup software. Note that to ensure data integrity and consistency during Infobase backup, user interaction with the Infobase must be prohibited. However, the time needed to create a backup is significantly less than when an Infobase is dumped to a file.
• You can use DBMS tools to back up an Infobase that runs in the client/server mode. For instance, SQL Server allows performing backups while a multiuser database is available to all users.

These methods will help you to create the most accurate copy of an Infobase state, which is not always the case if you use Infobase dump and restore. For example, if there are any errors in the database, some data might get lost during dumping. However, if you copy the database, all the data is stored and you can repair the database upon recovery.

Also, in the file mode, an Infobase has to stay in the single-user mode for a significantly shorter period of time, and in the client/server mode it does not require switching to the single-user mode at all.

Another advantage of these methods is the option to use various specialized software tools to create backups.