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Database File Archive And Restoration Management
An application for archiving and restoring hard disk files whose file references are stored in a database.
Date Posted: March 8, 2005
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What is Database File Archive and Restoration Management?
The Database File Archive and Restoration Management application can be used for archiving and restoring hard disk files whose file references are stored in a database. This application can be used on Windows® as well as on different UNIX® versions. It supports both Oracle and DB2® databases.
A database is often required to keep images, attachments, and documents as large objects. These objects are usually kept in the file system and only the reference is stored in the database. Whenever an application needs the files, they are retrieved from the file system. This method of storage saves a great deal of space in the database; it also makes sense because the database never queries against these kinds of documents.
Database vendors provide efficient ways of making back-ups; but when the files are kept outside the database, the process of making back-ups gets rather complicated. The Database File Archive and Restoration Management application attempts to simplify the process of creating back-ups.
This application is easy to configure because the configurable properties are located in an external property file. When appropriate values are provided, the application allows connection to the database, querying of the reference table, and copying of the files from the file system to the safe media. Once it is sure that all relevant files have been copied properly, the application can be used to remove the files.
An appropriate JDBC driver is required in order to run this application. The JAR files must be placed in the location specified in the user manual.
How does it work? This tool has been developed using the JavaTM language so that it can be used on multiple platforms.
The application is invoked by the batch/shell executable files. For easy manipulation and configuration, a property file is provided. This property file stores all the input necessary for the application, and it can be edited by the user. A complete application programming interface (API) is provided in HTML format; it includes more information on all the packages and classes used in the application.
Script files are used to set the environment that the application is to execute. The environment parameters, such as archive location, archive criterion, and database connection information, can be set in the environment property files.
The application archives the file system data in two steps:
- It copies the data from the file system (on the basis of the file reference from the database), compresses it, and places it in the destination directory.
- It removes the data files from the file system. The two steps have been purposefully kept de-coupled so that the user can double-check before removing the files.
During restoration, the archived files in the zip file are unzipped and restored at the original location.
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| | About the technology author(s):
Makham V. Kumar works with the Installation team for Websphere Business Integration Connect at the India Software Lab. He is a Sun Certified Programmer for the Java 2.0 platform and a diploma holder in Capability Maturity Model, and he has experience in application development and in the business integration domain. Mr. Kumar is a graduate of the University of Karnataka at Belgaum.
Shishir Narain works with the Database team for Websphere Business Integration Connect at the India Software Lab. He has over six years of software industry experience and his interests include business integration.
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