Exclude/Include list - How To?

[DavidParker]

Hey guys,
I've got an interesting scenario I've been working on and I need some additional input.

We have a server (Windows 2003, NBU 5.1 MP5) with a large number of small files that rarely change. Differential backups don't work on the server because it takes too long looking for the next file to backup. Currently we run a Full backup bi-weekly and have a client side script that runs nightly and does a user-initiated backup on the last 3 days of files. The files are arranged by calendar date primarily.

Our Windows Admins would like to try something different, involving 'junction points' in NTFS. Apparently this will effectively store the files elsewhere and all we will need to do is backup the 'junctions'.

My initial testing resulted in NBU backing up the junction and the files behind it (not surprised as the client relies on the OS to get its files from). However, we were unable to restore from those backups; the restore would re-create the junction/folder but couldn't restore anything past that. Not really a problem though, as the actual files are elsewhere anyway and will be backed up from there. The problem is that the backup actually got the files though.

So, the present spin on the scenario is: they want me to only backup the 'junctions' (they appear to be directories to the OS). My first thought was to use Exclude/Include lists. Not much luck so far, unfortunately.

The file structure is thus:
G:\SourceDir\DateDirs\Data

The 'junction' is going to be the 'DateDir' level directories; there are tons of these (one for each day).

How would you setup an Exclude/Include combination to backup only those directories?

I've tried some testing but have only succeeded in getting a first level directory.
Ie: Exclude G:\ and Include G:\Temp = backup of G:\Temp directory (and nothing inside it).
Testing an include of: G:\Temp\Test1 results in 0 files backed up.
Same thing with wildcards and various combinations of '\' adding.

Any ideas out there?

DP

[Rakesh_Khandelw]

I had to do something similar to this with a solaris client, you can try the same with your Windows client.

I created a file list (listfile) which I called through bpbackup -f from client itself. To create file list(listfile) I used a script, which was listing all the files under that directory and subdirectories excluding one particular subdirectory. I am not a Windows expert so can't tell you what commands to be used in that script but I am sure one of your Windows Admin will be able to do so. I used "find" command for my script.Message was edited by:
RK

[DavidParker]

Rakesh,
Thanks for the info. We do something similar with the nightly backups for this already.
I think, if you create a filelist and put a directory into it, it will attempt to backup that directory and anything inside it, including subdirectories. And those are things I need to exclude. I need just the directories themselves and none of their content.

[Rakesh_Khandelw]

what happens if you keep G:\SourceDir\DateDirs\ in your Backup Selections list for policy and then put G:\SourceDir\DateDirs\Data in your exclude list

[DavidParker]

I think I'll have to Exclude:
G:\*
G:\SourceDir\DataDirs\*
G:\SourceDir\DataDirs\*\*
G:\SourceDir\DataDirs\*\*\*
G:\SourceDir\DataDirs\*\*\*\*
G:\SourceDir\DataDirs\*\*\*\*\*

Or something like that.

[Rakesh_Khandelw]

Okay. Since you are interested only in directory structure not the data..this may help. Y


Details:
Overview:

It is normal behavior for the addition of an /usr/openv/netbackup/include_list file to cause the backup of empty directories for all entries in the /usr/openv/netbackup/exclude_list. While the directory structure will be backed up, the actual files will be properly excluded from the backup.

Consider the following scenario
A /usr/openv/netbackup/exclude_list contains:
/development
/projects
With no include_list present, these two directories and all subdirectories and files will be excluded from the backup.

Then add a /usr/openv/netbackup/include_list that contains.
/projects/data1
The addition of an include_list will cause the entire directory structure for all directories in the exclude_list to be backed up. This is normal and only files in /projects/data1 will actually be included in the backup.Message was edited by:
RK

[DavidParker]

Well, looks like the \*\*\* idea doesn't want to work.
Think I'd have to specify each and every possible folder name in that path.

Your quote there is for Unix clients. Windows clients handle things differently, I believe.

[DavidParker]

Ok, well this was wacky.
Originally my testing was done on a folder called 'Temp'.
For some reason, however, it wouldn't backup anything in that folder.
So, I changed the name to something else.
Here is how the exclude list looked when I finally got the desired result:
G:\Something\Test*\*\

This backed up all of the 'Test' folders in the Something folder, but excluded all the files and subfolders in them and beyond them.

Yay!