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Many thanks to Stefan Heymann (www.destructor.de) for the following overview of options and examples.
GBAK is Firebird's/InterBase's command-line tool for online backup and restore of a complete database.
General Syntax:
gbak <options> -user <username> -password <password> <source> <destination>
Backup
For backups, <source> is the database you want to back up, <destination> is the file name of the backup file. The usual extension is .fbk for Firebird and .gbk for InterBase.
Only the SYSDBA or the database owner can perform a backup. For multi-file databases, specify only the name of the first file as the database name.
Restore
For restores, <source> is the backup file and <destination> is the name of the database that is to be built up from the backup file. You will have to specify the -C option for restore.
Options:
(Parts in square brackets are optional)
| -b[ackup_database] |
Back up. This switch is optional. |
Backup only |
| -bu[ffers] |
Set cache size for restored database |
Restore only |
| -c[reate_database] |
Restore (mandatory) |
Restore only |
| -co[nvert] |
Converts external tables to internal tables |
Backup only |
| -e[xpand] |
Creates an uncompressed backup |
Backup only |
| -fa[ctor] n |
Blocking factor for tape device |
Backup only |
| -g[arbage collect] |
Does not perform garbage collection (sweeping) during backup |
Backup only |
| -i[nactive] |
All indices will be restore as INACTIVE |
Restore only |
| -ig[nore] |
Ignores checksum errors while backing up |
Backup only |
| -k[ill] |
Does not create shadows that are defined in the backup |
Restore only |
| -l[imbo] |
Ignores Limbo transactions while backing up |
Backup only |
| -m[etadata] |
Only backs up metadata (schema). No table data will be stored |
Backup only |
| -mo[de] read_write |
Restores to a read/write database (This is the default) |
Restore only |
| -mo[de] read_only |
Restores to a read-only database |
Restore only |
| -n[o_validity] |
Does not restore validity constraints. So you can restore data that does not meet these constraints
and could not be restored otherwise. |
Restore only |
| -nt |
Non-transportable format (use only when you know you will restore on same platform and database
version) |
Backup only |
| -o[ne_at_a_time] |
Restores one table at a time. You can use this to partially restore databases with corrupt table data |
Restore only |
| -ol[d_descriptions] |
Old-style format |
Backup only |
| -p[age_size] <size> |
Sets page size of new database. <size> can be one of 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192. Default is 1024. |
Restore only |
| -pa[ssword] <password> |
Database password |
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| -r[eplace_database] |
Restores over an existing database. This can only be performed by the SYSDBA or the owner of the database
that is overwritten. Do NOT restore over a database that is in use! |
Restore only |
| -role <role> |
Connect as role |
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| -se[rvice] <hostname>:service_mgr |
Backup: creates the backup file on the database server, using the Service Manager.
Restore: creates the database from a backup file on the server, using the Service Manager. |
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| -t[ransportable] |
Creates a transportable backup (transportable between platforms and server versions) |
Backup only |
| -u[ser] <username> |
Database user name |
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| -use_[all_space] |
Normally, on restore, database pages will be filled to about 80 %. With the use_all_space option,
database pages will be filled to 100 %. (Useful for read-only databases which will see no more modifications) |
Restore only |
| -v[erbose] |
Verbose output of what GBAK is doing |
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| -y <filename> |
Redirect all output messages to <filename>. NOTE: the file must not exist before running GBAK! |
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| -y suppress_output |
Quiet mode |
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| -z |
Show GBAK version and server version |
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Examples:
A "normal" backup:
gbak -v -t -user SYSDBA -password "masterkey" dbserver:/db/warehouse.fdb c:\backups\warehouse.fbk
Backup with output to a logfile:
gbak -v -t -user SYSDBA -password masterkey -y c:\backups\warehouse.log dbserver:/db/warehouse.fdb c:\backups\warehouse.fbk
A "normal" restore:
gbak -c -v -user SYSDBA -password masterkey c:\backups\warehouse.fbk dbserver:/db/warehouse2.fdb
Restore to an already existing database:
gbak -c -r -v -user SYSDBA -password masterkey c:\backups\warehouse.fbk dbserver:/db/warehouse.fdb
Create a read-only database:
gbak -c -v -mode read_only -use_all_space -user SYSDBA -password masterkey c:\backups\warehouse.fbk c:\files\warehousedb.fdb
Multi-file backups:
Syntax for backup:
gbak [options] <database> <target file 1> <size 1> <target file 2> <size 2> ... <target file n>
NOTE: Do not specify a size for the last file. It will always be filled to take up what is left over, no matter how large. Size can be given in bytes (8192), kilobytes (1024k), megabytes (5m), or gigabytes (2g)
Syntax for restore:
gbak -c [options] <source file 1> <source file 2> ... <source file n> <database>
Restoring to a multi-file database:
gbak -c [options] <source file> <db file 1> <size 1> <db file 2> <size 2> ... <db file n>
NOTE: do not specify a size for the last database file. It can always grow unlimited to take up the rest. Size can be given in bytes (8192), kilobytes (1024k), megabytes (5m), or gigabytes (2g)
Restoring from a multi-file backup to a multi-file database:
gbak -c [options] <source file 1> <source file 2> ... <source file n> <db file 1> <size 1> <db file 2> <size 2> ... <db file n>
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