Synchronising flat files with database updates

[Debbie R]

Hello everyone!

We have a database that contains links to flat files in one of the tables.
The flat files are created/updated/deleted in line with their corresponding
entry in the database.
We have a plan to introduce incremental database backups, but we are unsure
how we can track the changes to the flat files so that those changes can be
backed up/restored at the same time as the database. Is there an industry
standard for this kind of backing up? Many thanks.
--
Debbie

[Will]

Hi Debbie,

I don't know anything about backup industry standards, but it sounds
to me like you're going to be in for a tough time trying to
synchronize the database / files.

If you have a time window during which the files are 'guaranteed not
to change' (ahem), you could perform your backup then. If you're
after an 'incremental' backup of the files during this quiet time
(rather than backing up everything, including files which have not
changed since previous backup), I'm sure that there are any number of
shrink-wrapped backup solutions you could use, or write a simple
utility to check file checksums against previous and copy off those
that have changed (or new files).

If you cannot have a 'quiet time', then I fear you're 'on a hiding to
nothing'. :(

Will.

[Debbie R]

Thanks Will. Thought as much. That'll teact them not to include the data in a
database!!
--
Debbie