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The assumption being that you would bother backing up a database that's supposed to be erased every 24 hours.
Maybe they do, but where's the evidence?
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Of course they back it up.
Not backing it - (actually - them since certain wording in this description
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nic...ion/fact-sheet leads me to suspect that there more than a single database) would be unacceptable.
No database manager in their right mind would agree to not backing up.
Even though some data in the database pertaining to the transaction is to be deleted, not all of it is deleted.
"(iii) In cases of NICS Audit Log records relating to allowed transactions, all identifying information submitted by or on behalf of the transferee will be destroyed within 24 hours after the FFL receives communication of the determination that the transfer may proceed. All other information, except the NTN and date, will be destroyed after not more than 90 days from the date of inquiry."
From that it appears the date and NTN (NICS transaction number - possibly NICS transaction number????) are retained.
If that NTN does refer to a transaction number, it just makes sense that it should be retained .....can you imagine what a duplicate number would do to the system?
So - yes - it's not my assumption the database or databases are backed up.
It's my professional experience in that field for over a decade that makes me conclude backups are done.
The only real question is how long are the backups retained.
As far as I know - and I could be wrong on current (within the last two years) relational databases systems, selective records or tables in a database can't be excluded from a backup.
Neither can selective portions of transaction/redo logs.
Being out of that field for over a year, I don't know about the former being true or not.
Knowing how a RDMS works on the inside, I know for 100% certainty the latter is true.