Common switches
-se[rvice]	<svname>	Use services manager
-user	<username>	User name (either SYSDBA or database owner)
-pas[sword]	<password>	User's password
-fe[tch_password]	<filename>	Fetch password from file (since FB2.5)
-tru[sted]		Use trusted authentication (since FB2.1)
-v[erify]		Report each action taken
-v[erify]	<num>	... does not work yet ...
-y	<path> | s[uppress]	Redirect/suppress status message output. File must not exist.
-z		Print software version number
Backup switches
-b[ackup_database]		Backup database to file or device (default)
-co[nvert]		Backup external files as tables.
-e[xpand]		No data compression.
-fa[ctor]	<n>	Blocking factor (for tape devices)
-g[arbage_collect]		Inhibit garbage collection.
-ig[nore]		Ignore bad checksums (errors are not reported)
-l[imbo]		Ignore transactions in limbo.
-m[eta_data]		Backup metadata only.
-nod[btriggers]		Do not run database triggers (since FB2.1)
-nt		Non-Transportable backup file format.
-t[ransportable]		Transportable backup -- data in XDR format. (default)
Restore switches
-c[reate_database]		Create database from backup file.
-r[eplace_database]		Create or Replace database from backup file.
-bu[ffers]	<n>	Override page buffers default. (min. 50)
-fix_fss_d[ata]	<charset>	Fix malformed UNICODE_FSS data (since FB2.5)
-fix_fss_m[etadata]	<charset>	Fix malformed UNICODE_FSS metadata (since FB2.5)
-i[nactive]		Deactivate indexes during restore.
-k[ill]		Restore without creating shadow.
-m[eta_data]		Restore metadata only. (since FB2.0)
-mo[de]	read_write|read_only	Set r/w or r/o access.
-n[o_validity]		Do not restore database validity conditions. (does not work correctly)
-o[ne_at_a_time]		Restore one table at a time (commit after each relation).
-p[age_size]	<n>	Override default page size (1024, 2048, 4196, 8192 or 16384).
-use_[all_space]		Do not reserve space for record versions.
Non-documented
-s[kip_bad_data]	<bytes>	Skip unknown attributes. (restore)
-f[ile_names]	<file>	Can be put before file names, e.g. GBAK -BACK -F db.fdb -F db.fbk
-metadata		Synonym for -meta_data
-verbose		Synonym for -verify
Obsolete
-ro[le]	<role>	SQL role
-ol[d_descriptions]		Save old style metadata descriptions (used for Backup)
-bug_8183		Obsolete (IB3.3)

Using services manager switch -se[rvice] <svname>
service_mgr	Local
hostname:service_mgr	TCP/IP
\\hostname\service_mgr	Named pipes

ExitCode/Errorlevel values
0	o.k.
1	error

Syntax

  Database backup
gbak [-B] [options] database target1 [size1[k|m|g] target2 [size2[k|m|g] target3 ...] ]

  Database restore
gbak {-C|-R} [options] source1 [ source2 ...] dbfile1 [ size1 dbfile2 [ size2 dbfile3 ...] ]

Examples

  Backup to file on client:
gbak -B  myserver:d:\db.fdb  c:\db.fbk

  Backup to file on server:
gbak -B  d:\db.fdb  d:\db.fbk  -service myserver:service_mgr

  Backup to stdout (Unix, Windows since Firebird 1.5):
gbak -B  d:\db.fdb  stdout

  Backup to tape (Unix, Windows):
gbak -B  d:\db.fdb  /dev/rmt/0
gbak -B  d:\db.fdb  \\.\tape0

  Backup & Restore in one operation (without creating intermediate file)
gbak -B  d:\db.fdb  stdout | gbak -C stdin  d:\db2.fdb
  (note that "stdout" and "stdin" must be in lowercase)

Notes

Backup prints informations every 20000 records:

gbak:     writing data for table T
gbak: 20000 records written
gbak: 40000 records written
gbak: 50000 records written

Restore prints informations every 10000 records:

gbak: restoring data for table T
gbak:    10000 records restored
gbak:    20000 records restored
gbak:    20003 records restored


Metadata-only backup backups values of non-system generators !