Advanced File Selection Wildcards

[James_Ho]

I am having an issue with using the single asterisk wildcard when setting up a backup job.

Here is the text from the Help File:
--------------
You can use wildcard characters. Use a question mark (?) to represent any single character. Use a single asterisk (*) to represent any number of characters before the next backslash. Use a double asterisk (**) to represent any number of characters, irrespective of any backslashes.

For example, on your C: drive you have a My Documents folder that contains a subfolder called Work Files. There are three Work Files subfolders called 1999, 2000, and 2001. Each one of those subfolders has a subfolder called Personnel. If you type the path as \My Documents\**\Personnel, the backup will include or exclude:

C:\My Documents\Work Files\2001\Personnel
C:\My Documents\Work Files\2000\Personnel
C:\My Documents\Work Files\1999\Personnel

-------------
Based on the example above if I wanted to backup every Personnel folder, my backup selection would look like this
\\{SERVERNAME}\C:\My Documents\Work Files\*\Personnel\*.* /SUBDIR
This should yeild me every personnel folder regardless of the year (1999, 2000, or 2001) plus any and all files and sub-directories below.

However, when I set up my job this way, it does not back up any files. The only way I have been able to get it to back up the files I want is to use the double asterisk (**) wildcard. We are concerned that by using the double asterisk wildcard, when the file directory structure is only one more directory under, it is slowing down the backup job. We want to test using the single asterisk wildcard versus the double asterisk wildcard to see if one is faster than the other. This is because we have a very limited time window in which to do the backup and if we can save time by using the single asterisk wildcard versus the double asterisk wildcard, that would help immensely.

Does anyone have a clue why this is not working when I use a single asterisk wilcard? It clearly states in the Help File that this should work.

[SANDEEP_PILLAY]

In regards to your query, the '*' wildcard represents any number of characters for a file but not for a folder.

In order to specify a wildcard for a folder, you will have to use '**' wild card character.

We hope this helps

[James_Ho]

The Help File states, "Use a single asterisk (*) to represent any number of characters before the next backslash."

By being "before" the next backslash, this indicates that the single asterisk is being used to represent characters in folder names and not filenames. Is this an error in the Help File?


Thanks for your help.

[Ameet_Thakkar]

Kindly refer the following.

You can use wildcard characters. Use a question mark (?) to
represent any single character. Use a single asterisk (*) to
represent any number of characters.
For example, to include all files with the .exe extension, type *.exe.You can use more than one asterisk if you know that a file name has certain letters in it, but not the exact file name. For example, to include or exclude any file that has the name Sam in it, type *Sam*.*.


The default entry is *.*, which means every file name with every extension is selected.
After you type the file name, indicate whether you want to
include or exclude it.

As an additional reference, kindly refer the following.

VERITAS Backup Exec (tm) 9.1 for Windows Servers Administrator's Guide (English)



http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/266190.htm
( Please refer to page number 304 of Administrator's Guide )

[James_Ho]

I understand that part of using a single asterisk.

Emphasizing this once again, the Help File states, "Use a single asterisk (*) to represent any number of characters before the next backslash."

So if I use a single asterisk as explained in my original post, the back up job does not back up anything.

Does BackupExec 9.1 not behave according to the rules as stated in the help file? Is this by design, or is there an error? If this is an error, is it going to be fixed? If it is going to be fixed, how soon can we expect a fix? Is there a difference in the time it takes to do a backup using a single asterisk versus a double asterisk?

Please don't give me the same answer just phrased a different way again.

Thanks.

[Vidyaj__Patneka]

Hi,

We request you to kindly give the details of the folder structure you are trying to backup. (Just as given in the example of Help file). You need not give the exact folder names but just with an examples so that we know what exactly you intend to backup and enter in the include/exclude list.

Also mention what wildcard entry path you have given.


Kindly get back to us.

[Ameet_Thakkar]

We shall wait for your reply so that we can proceed further in helping you with the case.

[James_Ho]

The example I gave in my original post is a very good approximation of our file structure.

But, for the sake of understanding here is a sampling of the actual file structure.

D:\ClearCase_Storage\VOBs\Logger.vbs\s\sdft
D:\ClearCase_Storage\VOBs\Projects.vbs\s\sdft
D:\ClearCase_Storage\VOBs\3rdparty.vbs\s\sdft

This is just a few of the many folders that we are backing up under the VOBs folder.
Please take notice that between the VOBs folder and the 's' folder, only one layer of folder name changes. We want to back up everything in the 's' folder and below (there are sub folders below the 's' folder) for each of the folders listed under VOBs (i.e. Logger.vbs, Projects.vbs, 3rdParty.vbs, etc)

According to the help file, I should be able to use Advanced File Selection with a single asterisk as listed below
\\CLEAR3\D:\Clearcase_Storage\VOBs\*\s\*.* /SUBDIR
(you can see the text from the help file in my original post above)

However, this does not work when using a single asterisk. The back job does not fail, it just does not backup anything (0 files and 0 bytes).

The only way I can get it to work is to use a double asterisk:
\\CLEAR3\D:\Clearcase_Storage\VOBs\**\s\*.* /SUBDIR

We are concerned that by using a double asterisk in a situation that calls for the use of a single asterisk, it is slowing down the backup job. We have a very limited backup window in which to perform our backups. So we would like to be certain that the back up is being processed in the shortest amount of time. Therefore, we want to compare backup times between the two methods of Advanced File Selection (single * versus double **) in the hopes that the single asterisk takes less processing than the double asterisk and thus the back up job completes faster.


On a side note - I am watching this thread for updates and am not receiving emails when there is a change. I have double checked my email address and it is correct. I have checked my watch settings and they are also correct. I checked the spam filter to make sure emails from here are not being blocked. I do not know why I am not receiving any emails when changes to this thread are made.

[Vidyaj__Patneka]

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback.the backup job seems to skip the files that are supposed to be backed up when the single asterisk is used in the path.This particular issue would be forwarded and taken care of soon.

IN the mean time, we suggest you to use double asterisk instead of single asterisk in the path so that backup jobs are able to backup the files specified.

Hope this helps.If you have any further queries please get back to us.

[Mike_Wallace]

James,
1) That whole 'using dots in folder names' has bugged me for years. It's just not right. However, I'm sure that application has you over a barrel and won't let you rename those folders. Have you tried, in your wildcard statement, *.vbs\s\*.* /SUBDIR or *.*\s\*.* /SUBDIR
2) Are your sure the \\CLEAR3\D: thing really works. Normally when you use a UNC to back up files, the drive letter has a $ appended (instead of a colon). This is because, by default, the logical drive letters are not shared openly but are shared in a hidden mode accessible only by DRIVE$
3) Have you tried using three seperate includes where you define the folders explicitly?, e.g., \\CLEAR3\D$\Clearcase_Storage\VOBs\Logger.vbs\s\*.* /SUBDIR
and so on for Projects.vbs and 3rdparty.vbs
This way, BE would run right down the path, saving time, backup just what it needs, then moving on to the next .vbs folder struct. This, of course, is only good if Logger.vbs, Projects.vbs, and 3rdparty.vbs remain static and the only three subfolders of VOBs you intend to backup.
Sorry to be so verbose and I hope some/all of this will help.
I'll process further and if I come up with anything profound, I'll post.
Have a great weekend.
best regards, mike

[Dhavalrai_Trive]

Hi James


> Emphasizing this once again, the Help File
> states, "Use a single asterisk (*) to represent any
> number of characters before the next
> backslash."

As mentioned in the help file the single asterisk is used to represent characters and not folders so the single asterisk represents a file(character) wildcard and the double astrisk represents a folder wildcard.


> So if I use a single asterisk as explained in my
> original post, the back up job does not back up
> anything.

Hence if you use a single asterisk Backupexec thinks it is a file cahracter and there is nothing below it to backup and stops there.

> Does BackupExec 9.1 not behave according to the rules
> as stated in the help file? Is this by design, or is
> there an error? If this is an error, is it going to
> be fixed? If it is going to be fixed, how soon can we
> expect a fix? Is there a difference in the time it
> takes to do a backup using a single asterisk versus a
> double asterisk?

I think there should be a mention of this in the help file documentation to avoid any confusion and I dont thuink this is any kind of a BUG as ther should be a clear differentiator between a file wildcard and a folder wildcard.

Also by using a double astrix there is no impact on the backup speed/time as it is just for the selection list.

[James_Ho]

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the info.

A little feedback on some of your questions.
1) Unfortunately, our application creates those folders with the dots in the folder name. So there is nothing that I can do bout that.
2) The D: came right out of Backup Exec when viewing the selection list in text mode versus the gui. I could not figure out how to make it do what I wanted in the gui so I edited the selection list in text mode.
3) I actually have a lot of folders that need to be backed up and they are not static (or I could have done a one time, manual grunt work to set up an include for each folder). So I am out of luck on this one.

[James_Ho]

Thanks dhasudhaval.
I guess the main confusion is that the example in the Help File clearly indicates that it is using the single asterisk for folder names. Hopefully they will get the Help File fixed, or if the single asterisk is supposed to work as shown in the Help File, they will get that fixed.Message was edited by:
JamesH