srotyliano wrote:
Is it possible to convert a 2.5 fdb file to 1.5 ? I am having problems with a legacy app and need to switch it back to the 1.5 system.
Helen Borrie answers:
In the past, it was usually achievable to "go back" one ODS at a time by the following - using 2.1 back to 1.5 as an example --
- With 2.1 server running, 2.1 to 2.0 - in the 2.1 setup, rename gbak.exe to gbakx.exe then copy gbak.exe from the 2.0 setup into the 2.1. Use that version of gbak to make a transportable backup of the ODS 11.1 database.
- With 2.0 server running --
- restore the backup using gbak v.2.0
- rename gbak.exe to gbakx.exe
- copy gbak.exe from v.1.5 into the 2.0 setup
- use that version of gbak to make a transportable backup
- With 1.5 running restore the backup using gbak v.1.5
Although downgrading has never been supported (and never will be), on the older versions this procedure would usually work. You could try to do the initial downgrade from 2.5 to 2.1 to see whether it's worth attempting the whole trip. I suggest you do a gstat -h on each restored database to check the ODS version. 2.5: ODS 11.2, 2.1: ODS 11.1, 2.0: ODS 11.0, 1.5:ODS 10.1.
If you don't have old versions archived, you can pick up the newest sub-releases of each as zip or compressed tar files (acc. to your platform) from the Downloads section of the website and extract the gbak executables.
srotyliano reply:
Helen, a HUGE thank you for your help! Your suggestion for back converting down to 1.5 worked like a champ. The hardest part of the whole effort was getting all the various FB versions installed and running at the right times but with a little perseverance that was accomplished as well.
To all the Firebird newbies out there - be sure to pick up a copy of Helen Borrie's "The Firebird Book", a well written comprehensive tool worth 10 times its cost.