Alisson Sales

import subprocess
from datetime import datetime

# 2008-03-30
# A little script to backup firebird databases
# Author: Alisson Sales 

# path to gbak (firebird backup utility)
FB_GBAK       = ‘gbak’

# parameters for gbak (list)
FB_PARAMS     = [FB_GBAK, ‘-t’, ‘-user’, ‘SYSDBA’, ‘-pas’, ‘masterkey’]

# full path to database’s directory
FB_DB_DIR     = ‘/var/lib/firebird/2.0/data/’

# a tuple of databases to backup
FB_DATABASES  = (
    ‘DATABASE1.GDB’,
    ‘DATABASE2.GDB’
)

# full path to backup directory
FB_BACKUP_DIR = ‘/home/alisson/backup/firebird/’;

# path to data compressor (bzip2, zip, rar, gzip)
COMPRESSOR = ‘bzip2′

# just a shortcut
timestamp = lambda: datetime.now().strftime(’%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S’)

for db in FB_DATABASES:

    # sufix to backup filename
    sufix = ‘.’ + datetime.now().strftime(’%Y%m%d_%H%M%S’) + ‘.fbk’

    print “[%s] Starting backup of file %s” % (timestamp(), db)

    backup = []
    backup.extend(FB_PARAMS)
    backup.append(FB_DB_DIR + db)
    backup.append(FB_BACKUP_DIR + db + sufix)
    p = subprocess.Popen(backup, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
    p.wait()
    error = p.communicate()[1]

    if not error:
        print “[%s] Backup is done.” % timestamp()
    else:
        print “[%s] Error:\n%s” % (timestamp(), error)

    print “[%s] Starting compression of backup file %s” % (timestamp(), db + sufix)

    compress = []
    compress.append(COMPRESSOR)
    compress.append(FB_BACKUP_DIR + db + sufix)
    p = subprocess.Popen(compress, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
    # preventing too much use of CPU, compressing 1 file per time
    p.wait()
    error = p.communicate()[1]

    if not error:
        print “[%s] Compression is done.\n” % timestamp()
    else:
        print “[%s] Error:\n%s” % (timestamp(), error)

Adicionando no cron, no shell digite:

crontab -e

O cron abrirá o editor para edição.
Então adicione:

0   3   *   *   *   /home/USUARIO/backup_firebird.py > /var/log/backup_firebird.log

Isso fará com que o script seja executado diariamente as 3 da manhã e grave o log em /var/log/backup_firebird.log

Download do arquivo .py

Mais sobre o módulo subprocess:
PyMOTW: subprocess - O’Reilly ONLamp Blog
Python Library Reference