Make sure you have a supply of formatted diskettes (or use the -format option)
If you plan to use DBBACKUP ensure that the database is not in use. (Shutting Down a Database tells you how to shut down a database.) (Dynamic Backup describes how to backup a database that is in use.)
On the DP4 System menu, select the Database Backup/Recovery option. The Database Backup, Recovery and Check menu is displayed:
Select the Backup option, followed by the database name, or DYNABACK, followed by the database name. The Database Backup utility screen is displayed:
DP4 displays the current session number for the database, and, for DBBACKUP only and prior to release 4.526/4.622, prompts you to restart a previous backup. Answer 'No' to start a new backup. Answer 'Yes' if you started the backup process earlier but did not complete it (for example, you stopped the backup after the first disk of two, and have not changed the database in any way since). Answer 'Abort' to return to the previous menu. As of release 4.526/4.622 it is no longer possible to restart an interrupted backup.
You are prompted to verify the backup file:
Answer 'Yes' to ask DP4 to check that the file is written to disk correctly. Answer 'No' to skip the backup verification. Answer 'Abort' to return to the Database, Backup, Recovery and Check menu.
You are prompted to enter a comment. Enter some text (up to four lines of characters) that describes the database and the changes made to it for this session. This text is displayed when you start the database restore process, so you can confirm that the correct database is restored.
Complete the comment by pressing <Enter> on the last line.
Load a diskette as requested and press <Enter>. DP4 begins copying the database. DP4 updates the display regularly while copying, so that you know how much of the database is copied, and how many Kilobytes have been verified, for example:
If the database is larger than the size available on the first disk, DP4 prompts you to insert another disk. Label each disk with the database name, the session number for the database and the number of disks used so far.
For DBBACKUP only, and for releases prior to 4.526/4.622 DP4 prompts you to enter a separate disk for the transaction log. Once the transaction log is copied, you are prompted to label the disk with the session number for the log. (Note that the session number for the log is different to that for the database). As of release 4.526/4.622 the transaction log is included in the BKP file with both programs.
The Database Backup utility terminates and you are returned to the Database, Backup, Recovery and Check menu. If your system had a log file, it has been deleted and the log session number incremented. The database session number has been incremented. A new log is created by carrying out a transaction on the database.