Incremental backup

[nickfoster]

Hi all, using BE12 in Windows Server.
I have setup an incremental job but it's not doing what I want. I need your help!!
I want it so that the very first time the backup runs it fully backs up all the data in 'Our Company Shared Documents Folder' and places in 'Backup of OCSDF'.

The second time it backs up it should;
a) Copy any modified files into backup location (overwrite existing file)
b) Copy any newly created files into backup location.
c) Delete any delete files since last backup.

My hope (now I may be asking too much) is that I can run this incremental backup every 30mins and if something daft happens like 'Company Shared Documents Folder' is deleted from the server. I can restore from the backup folder and people only lose the last 30 mins of work.

Is this possible?

NICK

[Colin_Weaver]

Hi Nick

The usual proces for running backups in the way you say is to use a Full and Incremental  System but instead of the outline you have, it would work as follows:
a) Full Backup runs to start the process
b) Second backup runs as an incremental and either creates a new media or appends to the existing media
c) repeat step b) (we recommend that you do periodically repeat from step a - possibly once a week, or with half hour backups, once a day - this step a can overwrite the media if you want, depending on how long you need to keep the data for.)

This would let you get back to any of the half hour 'slots'  not just the last one.

If you let it overwrite the existing backup file as you suggest in your step a - you could suffer data loss as the new file would only contain the modifed files and not the files that are still present that have not been modified - which would be a very bad thing. hence it has to append or use different media for the incremental jobs.

By the way an incremnetal backup treats modified files and new files as exactly the same things - after all a new file has also been modified

I am not sure what you are trying to delete in your step c) are you talking about the files holding the backups or your data files - or do you want files that users have deleted to not remain in the backups?

[shirmal]

Hi nick,
Your job request is not for an incremental backup.
Incrementals append data to the full backup, of files changes since last backup, but they do not overwrite data. In order to achieve objective A, you would need a new full backup job, which is set to overwrite.
For what you are trying to achieve, you may be better of with Shadow Copy protection on the particular folders or shares.
Hope this helps

---Cheers

shirmal

[Marksw · Accepted solution]

Hi,
What You are lokking for is the CPS (Continuous Protection Server) That is a Part of the BE. it backup files Whenever A file is changed You can then take a "snapshot" of the folder every 30 min and store it for a few days. The CPS backup must go to disk becouse it´s a "real Time" backup If you have a license for backyp Exec 12 than You have av license for the CPS, read the documentation on the CD for CPS

Mark

[Ken_Putnam]

Sounds like what you want is a combination of CPS and Synthetic backups

No combination of Full and DIFF/INCR will delete old files from your backup media. but Synthetic will take an existing Full or Synthetic merge changed files, and create a new backup with all updates applied.  (You will still have deleted files on it though)