There are two *guaranteed* ways to get a consistent
Domino database backup.

1.) Shut down the Domino server and back up the files.
    (For example, use the BA client.)

2.) Use Data Protection for Domino, which uses the
    Domino backup and restore APIs.
    This can be done while the Domino Server is up
    even if the database is changing during backup.

Even with the new Open File support, if a database is "open",
you cannot absolutely guarantee that the database will be in a
consistant state during the point in time the "freeze" happens.
That is because there could be in-memory operations that would make it
consistent. The Domino transaction logging introduced in Domino 5
make sure that the database can be made consistent even after a crash.

Thanks,

Del

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> as i understood the openfile feature a snapshot is made for the whole
> filesystem. Therefore there should be no problem with db-consistency
between
> db-files if they live all on the same volume. Since in my company our
lotus
> db files have proofen some kind of robustness (we only have a small
domino
> environment) i can not total agree with your absolute no to this topic.
> Domino uses an underlaying simple database that has to maintain some
> robustnes towards sudden failures like power off, lost connectivity to
the
> db on a networkshare or some bluescreens. From the other side if an
openfile
> agent waits (configurable) for seconds for inactivity there should not
occur
> a cut through a write operation.
> I'm sure there are better and more saver ways doing backups of Domino,
but
> most need more efforts or resources.