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Backups in the SQL version of IRIS are very different to the Btrieve/Pervasive version and users must take care to make sure that the correct files are being backed-up.
There are two parts to backing up the IRIS SQL data, the IRIS Database (the SQL portion of the backup) and the IRIS data files.
This holds most of the information that the program uses (everything from the client identifiers to the posting files). This database consists of two parts; the database (.mdf) and the log file (.ldf). The database is called IRIS and the log file is called iris_log with an .ldf extension.
These are all the supplementary files not held in the SQL database itself; and include format files, externally referenced files (used in GPM and Automail) and other information that does not lend itself to storage inside the SQL structure.
It is relatively easy to check on the location of an IRIS database. Open the IRIS main menu and go to help-about. In the screen below, the SQL database location is highlighted in blue and the data folder location is highlighted in red.
How the files are backed up depends upon the database engine being used. Different tools are available depending on whether the users are using the Microsoft SQL Server Express Version or full-blown SQL (Workgroup or Server versions). IRIS has also introduced a tool called the Database Manager to assist with SQL backups.
The Database (SQL) files cannot always be included in your normal backup strategy. The files may need to be backed-up from the location where they are used, and then copied to the backup media. The IRIS data files can simply be backed-up as normal.
All systems administrators should be aware of these locations and need to make sure they are being backed up correctly. It is your responsibility to make sure your data is safe.