>Randall Davis wrote:
>>
>> I have been attempting to synchronize (Netbase Shadow) my 2 3k systems
>> for a week now.  Three attempts, three failures.  Quest suggests that I
>> am doing everything properly.  My suspect now is TurboStore.  I am a
>> 7/24 shop, in that we're an e-commerce company, and my HP3000 is linked
>> to the front end web site, and is integral to our order capture
>> process.  Thus, no down time is allowed for any reason.  TurboStore was
>> purchased before I joined, and based on my understanding of the "true
>> online" version of the product began using it for backups.  All my
>> attempts at synchronization were using backups created while users were
>> accessing the system.  After talking with a few people, I've begun to
>> suspect that TurboStore only provides a real online solution for
>> Image/SQL if the application has been built with logical transactions
>> (i.e. DBBEGINs and DBENDs).  Since my application does not, the
>> transactions are not queued by TurboStore, and thus the source of my
>> shadow failures.  The question is:  Is my understanding of the way
>> TurboStore works correct?
>
>I am assuming that you use 'true' online i.e. ;ONLINE=START or
>;ONLINE=END with TurboStore. If your application is not built
>with logical transactions then the syncpoint is achived at the
>intrinsic (DBPUT, DBUPDATE, DBDELETE) level.
>
>This should normally be ok, as Netbase/Shareplex intercept the
>transactions at that level, too.
>
>The problem here is (IIRC) that Netbase/Shareplex uses timestamps in
>its transactions which is not 'granular' enough, a problem that a
>colleague in the German RC reported to Quest. You may want to contact
>Quest (for Netbase) or HP (if you bought Shareplex from HP) to get
>an update.
>
>Goetz.
>
>
>
>

You may have a conceptual problem as well especially if you were ever to
recover your databases.  If your databases are not quieted in someway or some
point in time then any restore would have incomplete transactions.  Being up
7x24 in a e-commerce environment and doing recoverable backups will need a new
way to look at the activity.

You have the tools.  If you have a shadow database, you can break the shadow
temporarily.  Backup the shadow and then resync the shadow.  Now you just have
to work a way to ensure all the transactions are complete when you break the
shadow.  Your application should probably use DBBEGIN/DBEND to accomplish this,
otherwise even your shadow would be incomplete.

I could be wrong, but any online backup needs a quiet point for a few seconds
or so to accomplish  backups that would be truely recoverable and usable.
Partially completed transactions can cause application problems.

Terry Warns
OakSoft Consulting