General

General
What is jdbdump?

Jdbdump is a database archiver that uses jdbc.

Why "jdbdump"?

It's Java Database Dumper which uses JDBC.

P.S. Name "jdbdbdump" sounds better :-)

What database engines does jdbdump support?

Currently jdbdump has (partial) support of PostgreSQL and MySQL. Support for other database engines can be added by adding external jars with custom database plugins (called "connectors").

What format does jdbdump use to save the backup file?

Jdbdump uses a binary format: Dump object is serialized and saved directly into the file, then all lines of data are saved the same way. The binary file can then be additionally compressed with zip or gzip.

Does jdbdump have only www interface?

No! You can also use jdbdump as a console application. To get details see user's guide.

Why can I not connect with my database?

If such problems appear, please check whether the connection data is correct, and if it is not, edit it. It may also turn out that your database type is not supported by our application, or that server has some temporary problems.

How long does it take to backup or restore a database?

Of course it depends on the size of your database. If it is large, the process can be time consuming. That's why it is recommended to select the notification option, which informs you about the end of the process by sending email message.

Where can I find the backup file?

You can find the backup file in the directory configured in the setting panel.

Can I make many dump files of the same database?

Of course you can. The name of the backup file consists (among other values) of the date of creation and that makes it easy to find the newest one.

How big is the backup file??

Of course it depends on your database size. Since we can assume that you are going to use jdbdump with relatively large databases, we decided to provide compression mode. You can choose ZIP or GZIP format.

Can I download the backup file and save it on my local machine?

Yes, you can.

Can I use Jdbdump with databases it does not support?

Yes, you can try. However we can not guarantee the success.

What about constraints? Does Jdbdump insert them properly?

Yes, Jdbdump adds constrains at the very end after the creation and filling the tables.

Do I have to fill the configuration data every time I use Jdbdump?

If you are using Jdbdump through web interface you can find all your configured databases on the "database list". If you are using the console tool you have to create special files with these data.

Can I edit previously entered databases?

Yes you can. Besides, you can also remove the database configuration.

How do I restore a database? Do I have to use only the restore files that are available on the server side?

No, you can also restore the database by uploading the file from a local computer.

Can I lose the files that are stored in the working directory on the server side?

Unfortunately, you can. If the server is tomcat, every reload or deployment means data loss. That's why we strongly recommend downloading backup files to your local machine.

Is my configuration file safe?

Yes, it is not visible to other users via www.

Is my dump file safe?

Yes, dump files are not avaiable via url. However other users of the system on which Jdbdump is launched may find these files. Therefore you ought to check whether these files are readable only by tomcat users.

Do I need any external tools to run the application?

Yes, you should use Apache Tomcat 5 and Java version 1.5(JDK). These tools have been used with this project and work fine. Of course you can try to use for example some different servers.

Can anybody "steal" my login and password?

Of course it is possible. That's why we strongly recommend using ssl enabled web server. This should prevent your data from dangerous spies.

Are there any cool features that can be added to Jdbdump?

Yes, there are. You can find some in documentation or you think about new improvement ideas on your own.

Installation

Installation
What other software do I need to launch Jdbdump?

You need to install Java 1.5 JDK and Apache Tomcat 5 (GUI and distributed usage)

What package do I need to install Jdbdump?

You need jdbdump.war package to unpack it to your Tomcat installation or deploy via Tomcat manager

Jdbdump does not work. What to do?

Make sure you set properly tomcat-users.xml file (role systemadmin and a user with this role), or alternatively you created authority table with proper users when using MySql authentication

Jdbdump still does not work. Help!

Try not standard app.properties location - Tomcat (depending on distribution) may want to search for properties in different directory we expect (try e.g. bin). By default it should be located in jdbdump/WEB-INF/classes directory.

Where on my hard drive could I find backup images ?

Default location is /var/backups for linux and D:\jdbdump\ for windows (remember about the ending backslash! )

Everything seems ok, but backups are not created.

Check write permissions to /var/backups directory (or the directory you set your backups to be created). In windows this should not be a problem.

I've got problems with the database driver.

Try downloading different drivers (the newest drivers are supplied with jdbdump, however it is sometimes better to try older ones if you use older databases), and put them into jdbdump/lib/ directory.