Differential Backups Using Lotus Notes Agent

[brupnick]

When I do a differential backup of my Lotus Notes databases using the Lotus Notes agent, does it use the same method that Windows does when backing up a flat file?  That is, does it only read the archive bit on an .nsf or, because I'm using the Lotus Notes Agent, is there more intelligence than that?

[sksujeet]

The reset archive method is used if you are doing a backup of windows files but If you are using the lotus notes agent then a different technology will be used where it will read the .nsf file and compare them and create or generate a selection list for you.

[sksujeet]

Any updates on this?

[brupnick]

We configured our Notes Agent to do differential backups, but they are still overflowing the tape.  Because of this, I believe that they are not doing differentials at all, but rather full backups.  This is what prompted my initial question about how the Notes agent differentiates a file that requires a full backup from one that only requires a differential.

[pkh · Accepted solution]

With the Domino agent, BE uses the archive bit.  It backs up the whole NSF if it is modified and the archive bit set., i.e. when the user receives new mail and the NSF is modified   Unless it is there are a lot of dormant mail accounts, a differential backup will not reduce your backup size significantly.

If you want to reduce the size of your backup, then you got to reduce the size of your NSF's by archiving old mails.  You can either use the Notes archive facility or install Enterprise Vault.

[brupnick]

Thanks phk.  This is exactly what I was looking for.  (sorry for the delayed response)