[Limit the number of Recovery Point sets saved for this backup] vs. [new recovery point set (base)]

[Khaled_Kajo]

[Limit the number of Recovery Point sets saved for this backup] vs. [new recovery point set (base)]

Atually I am a little confused here about this issue

Now my computer is fully backed up then I did the following

(1) What if I *replaced a folder on my computer  , Would SSR back that up including the both folders with the same name and different contents ?

(2) Is issue(1) controlled by the "limit number of Rec. point sets" ? = what I mean that If if I make the limit <2> >> So after the First big full backup - I changed a file 'counts 1' - then I changed it again 'counts 2' - then I CHANGED It AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME 'counts 3' , So  do i loss my first old set <1> and loss my files and it will be replaced by the last one ???

(3) [new recovery point set(base)] >> Does it mean that after, say a month, everything will be removed and a new backup will be done and all my files will be lost ? ----- if so? what if I do not need that ? .. I need to accumlate changes over changes, not even change it yearly or in a century

(4) for example, I need to back up my D-Parition, just one time and then accumlates every change I did on my computer that If i replaced one file with another in the same name different content, I go to my backup and find both the 2 folders backup well, may be over five times of changes "replace", it is ok to delete the first one and replace it by the last one ... so now I have always last five changes for the same file

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(5) Is there anyway to browse my backed up data on another computer ? without installing Symantec things

just open folder normally by 2 left mouse clicks ?? ..

that the backup reads any change I did and then I can easily handle my data on any any any other computer, just a copied folder but aupdated with any changes I did

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*Replaced = [replaced "x" folder with some content with "x" folder but different contents]

I am glad for getting some program like that, simply a PROFESSIONAL one ..

Thanks in advance, I hope I am really not bothering you , xD

[Andreas_Horlach]

1 - Yes, any changes you make to the partition you back up will be captured in the next backups. A incremental image is simply the changes made to the base image. SSR 2013 is a volume-based backup, so when a backup occurs, a snapshot of the entire drive (all data on the drive) is taken, not individual files and folders. 

2 - If you have the number of recovery point sets set to 3, then 3 recovery points will be saved on the backup destination. The oldest recovery point will not be deleted until the latest recovery 4th recovery point is successfully created. The backups are saves according to the schedule, not according to which files changed on the system. So if you backup your computer now, then in 1 hours, the backup now contains the system state as it is now, and the 1 in one hour will be whatever the system state is.

3 - A new recovery point set is when a new base image is created. If you have a scheduled to create a new recovery point set weekly, then a new base image is created each week and incrementals accumulate during the week (per the backup schedule). Again, a base+related incrementals is a recovery point set. You can retain the recovery point set for as long as you want (see point #2). You can also manually or automatically create a copy of the backup image and store it offsite, thus adding another layer of protection.

4 - You can browse through the base incremental, and that will contain all data for that date. If you browse the first incremental, that will contain the contents of your drive for when that backup occured, an so forth. So yes, data can be retrieved for whatever date of the backup image. 

5 - You can install SSR 2013 on another computer and browse the backup data from there. The only requirement of browsing the backup data is SSR needs to be installed. The backup data can also be browsed from the Symantec Recovery Disk. 

Again, remember that each backup (base image or incremental), is a complete snapshot of the data on the volume. It works at a sector level, not individual file and folders. All data on the drive will be as it was when the backup occured. 

[Khaled_Kajo]

so let me get clear here:

I make [Limit the number of recovery point sets saved for this backup = 1]

[start a new recovery point set(base) = yearly]

So, now the driver will be backed up 1 time[base] and every backup (according to schedule) will be an incremental since the next year ??!!! then next year it will make a new base one ?

what the point of making more than one set for the same drive

say, I made [limit 3 sets] and [yearly] , so it will make 3 sets during the year ? or will it make 1 set every year then at forth year it will delete the old one ?

thanks in advance

[Markus_Koestler]

You're right with both: Every Year 1 base resp. one set every year and at the forth year it will delete the oldest one.

[Andreas_Horlach]

You could have more than one recovery point set because often, for example, when files or folders get deleted from a destination and the last backup picked up that deletion. You would want to go to a previous image set to get the deleted data. This is also ideal for offsite archiving. You could also open any of the incremental images for any particular day and see that data there too. So it really is a matter of preference. In my experience, the most commom backup practice is creating a base image once a week (typically on a weekend or first thing on Monday morning) and incrementals during the week.

[Markus_Koestler]

Any questions still open ?

[Markus_Koestler]

May I kindley ask you to mark this post as solved?