>>>>>What would be the simplest way to ensure that all the tables are backed-up on a regular basis? Not really so much how you would do it - we would use DynaZip or something like that - but more where/when should it be done? If we wanted it to happen at least once a day, and there could be multiple workstations accessing the data on a server (of which we have no admin control). When to do it? On shutdown of the app? On startup? Do you do it at the very end of your Main.prg that is starting the app in the first place? What is the best way?
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>>>>Maybe at a different application which should be run from Windows Scheduler when everybody is supposed to be out (3AM or something)
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>>>That is a good idea.
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>>A very good idea. That's how we do it.
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>How do you handle it if they are not out?

We (Bata/Bolivia, where I used to work) do the backup at around midnight, and around noon. The backup at noon is less safe than the one at midnight. Files can be copied while people use them, but there is the risk of data changing while the backup is being done - and some data thus being in an inconsistent state.

It doesn't really matter whether a file is open, as long as nobody is actually writing stuff. A file copy should work, and programs such as WinRAR have options to enable you to work with open files - but once again, there is always a slight risk involved. Our main backup is the one at midnight, since we assume that seldom there will be anybody at work at that time. That is the one that is kept in the long term. The backup at noon provides additional protection, it may be possible to recover some data - but we consider it less safe.