BE9 cataloging question

[julian_b]

 Hi all,
Backup Exec 9 on a Netware 6.5 server - - -

I know that open user files will not be backed up.  But my question is this:

At what point will backup exec mark an open file as unavailable for backup? Does it build an index of all files, open or not, and just pass over them if it cannot access them at the point it tries to write that open file to tape - - - or does it exclude it initally and pass over it regardless.

I have some crucila files that are practically open 24 hours a day.  They can be sut down for a bit, but not for an entire 3 hour period.  If I need to, I will create a seperate backup routine for this these crucial files that will take just a few minutes (During which time users will be able to exit, since it's a much shorter duration.) But before I go and do that, I just want to understand it better,  It's not so crucial that one of these files gets missed a few times a week . . . .but I need to make sure there are a couple good tapes, anyway.

Hope all this makes sense. Thanks

[Hemant_Jain]

You may want to go for Advanced Open File Option and assuming this is a windows 2003 server, VSS can be used to perform a consistent backup of open files. Also, there is no indexing that is done before backup, unless VSS is used. Backup starts and it goes on backing up files that are encountered, and if it finds the file as open, it tries to lock it, but if lock cannot be obtained the file is skipped. Whereas, if AOFO is used, the open files will be backed up in a consistent state.

Please mark it a solution, if this is useful.
Thanks

[c_john]

 Hi,
Backup Exec can be set to attempt to backup open files if it can lock them, or if you own the AOFO to backup open files.

If the files are SQL...you can backup the SQL Backups, which can be done while the files are open.

A simple solution is:
1. Close the files you need to backup -- automatically -- say at 1 am
2. At 1:02 AM backup to DISK FOLDER those files.
3. Open those files.
4. Do your tape backup to exclude the open files folder and backup the closed files folder

The files will only be closed for a few minutes.

John