Backing Up the Database

CrossWind recommends that you back up your Synchronize database on a daily basis. Only the db subdirectory and its contents need to be backed up. Utilities such as tar or cpio are recommended and easy to use for this task under UNIX. Under Windows NT, any backup software can be used including the built-in system backup facility. Whichever tool you decide to use, make sure that it saves all files and directories including empty directories and zero-length files. As an example, if you have a special UNIX disk partition or file system called /backups from which the nightly backups are made, then you might execute the following script each night:

#!/bin/sh

BACKUP_DIR="/backups"
SYNC_DIR="/usr/local/lib/synchronize"

cd $SYNC_DIR
tar cf - db | compress > ${BACKUP_DIR}/db.tar.Z

You do not need to stop the Synchronize server when backing up the database. When deciding what time the backup should occur, keep in mind that the Synchronize server propagates unfinished to-dos to the next day around midnight. The amount of time required to do this depends on the size of the database and the speed of your system. For this reason, when scheduling your backup, it’s probably a good idea to avoid the time between 12:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m.