This Topic does not apply to the Enterprise Version of Crimestar RMS
CrimeStar provides a simple little utility called ‘Quick Backup’, which can be used to backup CrimeStar data files to a different directory location. This backup process has several strengths and weaknesses. The following is an overview of the use of the ‘Quick Backup’ process.
Strengths
· Convenient
· Generally a Fast operation
· The CrimeStar software knows if it has been too long since your last backup and can nag you until you perform another backup.
· Back can be performed while users are on-line.
Weaknesses
· Requires you to have enough hard disk space to completely duplicate your data files. Example: A quick Backup can not be saved to a floppy disk as the storage capacity of a floppy is too small and the process will not span multiple floppies.
· Backup data can be non-synchronized as changes can be made to the data tables while the process is running.
· Can slow the system considerably as very large amounts of data are moved across the network.
· Does not backup records marked as deleted that may still exist in the data tables.
To perform a ‘Quick Backup’ you must have administrative capability. Select ‘System’ from the main menu. Then select ‘Backup’ from the System menu. You will be shown a brief warning about performing backups. Then you will be presented with the CrimeStar Backup Form.
Enter the fully qualified path or directory where you want the backup files to be copied to. If you are not sure of the path, you can select the ellipse button (the button with 3 dots on it ‘…’) and you will be shown a directory selection dialog. Once your desired backup directory has been specified, click the button labeled ‘Backup Database’.
The backup process will then begin.
* Using Crimestar’s Quick-Backup should not be your only backup strategy and should not be used instead of a regular off-line disk or tape backup process.
RESTORING YOUR QUICK-BACKUP DATABASE
If you ever need to restore a backup copy of your CrimeStar database, and don’t have some other off-line backup, you may want to restore from the Quick-Backup Database. While the Quick-Backup process part of CrimeStar and is designed to let you perform backups while on-line and the database is being accessed, the process of restoring your database files can not be done while on-line. You must have everyone log out of CrimeStar.
Prior to restoring your database from any backup copy it is a good idea to use windows to make yet another copy of your existing database, to a completely different location, even if the contents of that database are questionable. The restore process will permanently over-write your data files and if for some reason you need to get back any of those files you will not be able to do so after the restore unless you have saved a copy of them first.
To perform a restore, simply use windows to copy the ‘Quick-Backup’ database files back into your \CrimeStar\data directory or whatever directory is being used to hold your ‘LIVE’ CrimeStar database. Once you have copied the files from the Quick-Backup directory you should perform a CrimeStar reindex, to re-establish all the necessary index files, as indexes are not backed-up by the Quick-Backup process. Once the reindex is complete your CrimeStar database should be intact and will reflect whatever data was present when the Quick-Backup was performed.