FBDataGuard

FBDataGuard is a part of HQbird Standard now!

FBDataGuard is a server-side tool to monitor Firebird databases and prevent corruptions. It monitors databases and server environment, performs backups in the right way, gathers statistics and sends alerts about all actual and possible problems.

FBDataGuard is intended to be automatic maintainer and administrator assistant for important Firebird databases, especially at remote locations and being bundled with Firebird-based software. Also it can be used for advanced database recovery of protected database in case of heavy corruption (e.g., caused by hardware failure).

Main FBDataGuard features are:

  • Automated backups with "test restore" option and ability to keep backup history. 
  • Online health-check of monitored databases
  • Errors monitoring (firebird.log and other errors)
  • Automated online indices health-check and statistics recalculation
  • Transaction markers monitoring
  • Temp files monitoring
  • Supports Windows and Linux
  • Email alerts

FBDataGuard Documentation

How it works

FBDataGuard

FBDataGuard is installed on the same server where Firebird is running (it is necessary to watch for important server parameters). After installation it is necessary to specify databases for monitoring.

FBDataGuard has several dozens of jobs, which runs on schedule; many of these jobs are designed to check some parameters and asses are they in the frames of safe boundaries, and others jobs are designed to run backups, get statistics and perform validation.

FBDataGuard is designed to be safe: for example, if FBDataGuard sees that there is not enough free space to complete backup, it will not run backup, but issue an alert to warn administrator instead.

To add databases for monitoring and set parameters for maintenance jobs FBDataGuard has embedded web-console. Web-console shows statuses of server and databases monitoring jobs and allows changing of job's properties

Access to the web-console is protected by username and password, and by default is restricted to the localhost only (it can be tied to the specific IP address, of course).

Of course, FBDataGuard web-console can be accessed from remote computers and mobile devices. It gives an ability to control Firebird databases on remote locations and be sure that they are healthy.

FBDataGuard can be also configured by set of ini-files, in order to create easy to move configuration and use it on multiple computers with similar Firebird setup.

FBDataGuard and big Firebird databases

Usually FBDataGuard is used in production environment, especially in the following cases:

  • Databases with business-critical data inside
  • Large databases (>100Gb)
  • 24x7 databases
  • Databases without administration support
  • Databases at remote locations

Please view this presentation for more details about FBDataGuard:

Firebird's Big Databases (in English) from Nataly Polyanskaya