The new IBExpert Replicator Enterprise is now ready!
The new IBER solution will be installed in a remote session by an IBExpert engineer on a Windows or Linux machine (virtual or physical) in your network while your employees are working on the database.
What do you need for this? We recommend installing the IBER on a virtual machine, so that in the event of a unrecoverable failure of your existing production server, making it impossible to use the database on that machine, you or our engineer can activate the replicated database as a new production database by running a single batch file.
The existing replication master server can be any Linux or Windows machine in your local network. We recommend a server, which will execute the IBExpert Benchmark with a least 100% in each category. If faster servers are needed, please consider our IFS Server Hardware.
The replication target server can be any physical or virtual machine also running Windows or Linux.
It should be preinstalled with the same Firebird installation that is already used on your existing master server. If our help is needed and you are not sure how to copy such a configuration, our engineers can evaluate your master server installation and transfer the Firebird server to a second machine following a very brief out time.
The IBER virtual machine can run on a separate machine or also on your replication target server as a virtual machine. If you do not have any preferred VM system, we will deploy the free VirtualBox software.
The IBER basic price includes up to one hour of remote session work for the setup. This requires that we get the above setup already preinstalled and the customer can give us the connection strings/SYSDBA or Owner and password of the Firebird databases used. Also, we expect to have the above-mentioned IBER VM and target server with a similar Firebird server already preinstalled. The basic price covers up to 2 databases to be replicated.
If the customer is unable to carry out these preparations, we can perform additional configuration work based on our IBExpert Hotline package rates. This basically means: If you do not have your own IT manager, who is able to implement and document all above steps for us, and also your software manufacturer does not want to help you on this task, you can be confident that our IBExpert engineers will make it work.
The IBER Product also includes 12-month emergency service in case of unrecoverable errors on our master server up to 4 times per year. If this happens more often, you should consider changing your server hardware. A IBExpert hotline package will still allow you to use our service, also when issues are to be solved that are not connected to the IBER replication. If such an emergency case is reported to us, but we see that a simple server restart solves the problem or the problem has nothing to do with Firebird, we will charge the time on the customer’s hotline account.
At the end of the initial 12-month period, we will charge you for a further 12 months with the IBER Subscription package, if our help and software updates are still required. Without the continued subscription, the software will not cease working, but in case of an emergency, our remote support then requires a prepaid hotline package.
After the basic installation carried out by our engineers remotely, which is typically done using our GoTo Meeting conference system, you will see a number of separate batch files on the IBER virtual machine which will perform the following tasks:
a) Create and init a new replication target for a specific master database
b) Drop any replication technology from a specific master database
c) Execute the replication based on Firebird events
d) Convert a target database to be a 100% replacement for the master database
If your software manufacturer does not want any alterations made in the database or does not directly support our technology, you can always execute script b) whenever the software manufacture applies, for example, his updates on the database, since this script will completely remove any IBER object from the database.
After the updates have been applied, you only need to run the script a) again to recreate any necessary IBER objects and init the new replication target again.
After init has been run, script c) will start and execute all operations (insert/update/deletes) performed in the master database, almost in real time, onto the replicated target database. If script c) cannot connect to master or target database, for example because of a temporary server reboot, it will ignore the errors for a few seconds and, after the reconnection is made, will process all records that were logged while the connection was not possible.
If a backup and restore of the existing database is performed, a new init process using script a) is mandatory. A backup alone does not need such a new init.
The IBER replication can be interrupted at any time, due to a local power cut or whatever other reason. Once the systems are back online, there is no manual work required to reactivate the replication again and no new sync is necessary. Everything that is done on the master database will be immediately replicated to the target database right after the IBER VM and the target server can be reached again.
Important: If your software manufacturer claims that any manipulation of the database structure will result in a loss of warranty, you should request the manufacturer get in touch with us, since we can guarantee that our system has no negative impact on any Firebird 2.5-Firebird 5.0 databases except for a very low level of additional server performance which the IBER system will operate via one additionally connected database user.
Zero maintenance and full real-time replication.
IBExpert Replicator Enterprise IBER Starter Package including init and 12 months support 990 €.