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GFIX — Firebird Administration

GFIX is Firebird's command line tool for administration issues like data repair, sweeping, etc.

General Syntax

gfix [options] -user <username> -password <password> <database> [options]
 
-user <username>
 Database user name 
-pas[sword] <password>
 Database password 
-fet[ch_password] <filename>
 Instead of -password: Fetch password from the file so it is not visible in the command line. When <filename> is stdin, the user will be prompted for the password. [Firebird 2.5]

Database Shutdown

When a database has been shut down, only SYSDBA and the database owner are able to connect to the database in order to perform administrative tasks.

Options

-at[tach] <seconds>
 Used with the -shut option. Waits <seconds> seconds for all current connections to end. If after <seconds> seconds there are still connections open, the shutdown will be cancelled and return an error. 
-f[orce] <seconds>
 Used with the -shut option. Waits <seconds> seconds for all connections and transactions to end. After this time, all connections and transactions are cancelled and the database is shut down. Use with caution. 
-o[nline]
 If a -shut operation is pending, it is cancelled. Otherwise, takes a database back online 
-sh[ut]
 Shut down database. Must be used together with -attach, -force or -tran 
-shut {normal | multi |
single | full}
-online {normal | multi |
single | full}
 
 Firebird 2.0 and later: New shutdown modes:

NORMAL: Database is active and online
MULTI: Only connection from SYSDBA and the Database Owner will be allowed (compatible mode with Firebird 1.0/1.5)
SINGLE: Only one SYSDBA or Database Owner connection will be allowed
FULL: Exclusive shutdown: Database is completely offline, no connections will be allowed (it is now possible to access the database file safely on a file basis, e.g. for backups)

Use -shut to "go down" the scale of shutting down and -online to "go up" that scale.

 
-tr[an] <seconds>
 Used with the -shut option. Waits <seconds> seconds for all running transactions to end. If after <seconds> seconds there are still running transactions, the shutdown will be cancelled.

Examples

Shut down database, wait 60 seconds until all connections are closed

gfix -user SYSDBA -password "masterkey" dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -shut -attach 60

Note that GFIX will terminate with an error if there are still connections open after 60 seconds.

Shut down database, force shutdown after 60 seconds

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -shut -force 60

Shut down database, force shutdown NOW

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -shut -force 0

Put database online again

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -online

Examples for Firebird 2.0

Shut down database to single user mode

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -shut single -force 60

Put database online again

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -online normal

Shut down database, force shutdown NOW, allow no subsequent connections, even from SYSDBA or Owner

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -shut full -force 0

Database Repair, Sweeping

Options

-f[ull]
 Use with the -v option. Checks all records and pages and releases unassigned record fragments 
-h[ousekeeping] 0
 Switch off automatic sweeping 
-h[ousekeeping] <n>
 Set Sweep Interval to <n> transactions (default is 20000) 
-i[gnore]
 Ignores checksum errors during a validate or sweep 
-m[end]
 Marks corrupt records as unavailable so they are skipped on a subsequent backup 
-n[o_update]
 Use with the -v option. Checks all records and pages and reports errors but does not repair them 
-sweep
 Forces an immediate sweep 
-v[alidate]
 Check database for validity. At the same time, errors are reported and repaired

Examples

Validate Database

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -v -f

Sweep Database now

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -sweep

Set Sweep Interval to 50000 transactions

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -h 50000

Switch off Automatic Sweeping

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -h 0

Misc

Options

-a[ctivate]
 Activate Shadow file for database usage 
-b[uffers] <pages>
 Default cache buffers for the database will be set to <pages> pages 
-c[ommit] <id>
 Commits limbo transaction specified by the given <id> 
-c[ommit] all
 Commits all limbo transactions 
-l[ist]
 Display IDs of all limbo transactions and what would happen to each transaction if you would use -t on it 
-mo[de] read_write
 Set mode of database to read/write (default). Requires exclusive access to database (shutdown) 
-mo[de] read_only
 Set mode of database to read-only. Requires exclusive access to database (shutdown) 
-pa[ssword] <password>
 Database password 
-p[rompt]
 Use with -l. Prompts for action. 
-r[ollback] <id>
 Rolls back limbo transaction specified by the given <id> 
-r[ollback] all
 Rolls back all limbo transactions 
-s[ql_dialect] 1
 Sets SQL dialect 1 for the database 
-s[ql_dialect] 3
 Sets SQL dialect 3 for the database 
-t[wo_phase] <id>
 Performs automated two-phase recovery for limbo transaction with the given <id> 
-t[wo_phase] all
 Performs automated two-phase recovery for all limbo transactions 
-user <name>
 Database username 
-w[rite] sync
 Enables Forced Writes 
-w[rite] async
 Disabled Forced Writes 
-z
 Show GFIX and server version

Examples

Set Database to Read-Only

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -shut -attach 60
gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -shut -force 0
gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -mode read_only
gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -online

Set Database to SQL Dialect 3

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -sql_dialect 3

Enable Forced Writes

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -write sync

Disable Forced Writes

gfix -user SYSDBA -password masterkey dbserver:/db/mydb.fdb -write async

Stefan Heymann, last change 2010-01-11

This documentation is licensed under (choose your favorite): GPL, LGPL, CC, IDPL, GFDL, BSD, (did I forget one?)