Anchoring folders in FD-ISR

Discussion in 'FirstDefense-ISR Forum' started by lu_chin, Aug 24, 2007.

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  1. lu_chin

    lu_chin Registered Member

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    If my C drive is not partitioned and if it contains both the OS (< 10 GB) and other program+data files (~100 GB) then can I "anchor" all the non-OS program+data folders? If I do this, will I be able to create and restore future 10 + 100 GB snapshots faster then when not anchoring? Do I always have to restore the 100 GB anchored folders/files instead of just restoring the 10 GB unanchored OS?

    Thanks.
     
  2. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    Hi Lu_Chin

    Certainly anchoring your data will cut down on imaging/restoring, and FDISR copies. Don't Don't anchor your programs. It will cause you grief, since programs tie into the system via the registry and other things. If the snapshots end up being different, you may end up with a trashed system.

    Anchor "My Documents" and keep your data there.

    Pete
     
  3. chrome_sturmen

    chrome_sturmen Registered Member

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    Chin, if you anchor your data and it gets infected by a virus or malware, it could very potentially destroy all your snapshots- the more data you anchor, the less secure the snapshots are.

    Why don't you make a seperate partition, and keep your data on it? That way you can access it from any snapshot, and not worry about anchoring. Keeping your sensitive data on the same partition as your operating system is a very bad idea in any case- operating systems come and go- but it's the data you want to last
     
  4. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    Personally, I don't anchor, but I don't worry much about my data files anyway. Sandboxie makes them untouchable from a browser.
     
  5. ErikAlbert

    ErikAlbert Registered Member

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    As Peter already said anchoring programs is not a good idea, because Windows itself is already a mixture of Operating System and Programs.

    You have only 3 possibilities for your personal data, which is normally stored and organized in the folder "My Documents" :

    1. No anchoring of the folder "My Documents".
    In that case the folder "My Documents" will be stored in ALL your snapshots and archives.
    This will increase the volume of all your snapshots of course.
    If you have 100gb of data and you have 3 snapshots, it means that your data = 300gb instead of 100gb.
    You can only do this when the volume of your data is rather small and stable in size, which is almost never true.

    2. Anchoring of the folder "My Documents"
    In that case the folder "My Documents" will not be stored in ALL your snapshot and archives.
    This means that your snapshots and archives will only contain Windows + Programs and no data.
    This will reduce the volume of the snapshots and archives of course and your data of 100gb remains 100gb.
    Smaller snapshots/archive = shorter copy/updates.
    Since your personal data isn't included in the snapshots/archives anymore, you have to find a solution to backup your personal data.

    3. Storing your data on another partition
    In that case :
    1. Your system partition = Windows + Programs
    2. Your data partition = folder "My Documents", which can be moved via Windows.
    This is IMO the very best solution although not everyone agrees.
    It's a basic rule in our computer department, not to mix system and data in one place and certainly not in the system partition, which is the main target of all evil.
    Since your personal data is on another partition, FDISR will ignore that partition and you have to find a backup solution for your personal data : Image backup, File backup, ...
    Separating your data from system has several other advantages :
    1. separate backup of system and data, data requires more backup than system.
    2. total freedom on your system partition without being worried about your personal data.
    3. your data is safer and you can't lose your updatings of TODAY anymore, while archives/images are always from YESTERDAY or older, unless you do very regular incremental backups, which I don't use.
    4. Some user prefer to have another partition for their graphical files, because these files slow down everything.
    I use Karen's Replicator to backup my data and use ShadowProtects Recovery CD to backup my system, since ShadowProtect under Windows requires activation.
    Keep in mind that storing on another partition doesn't always mean another partition on the same harddisk, it can be another internal harddisk, an external harddisk, etc.

    It's up to you to choose one of these methods. :)
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2007
  6. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    Well said Erik. No anchoring for me works as my data isn't that big.

    What you should have added is NEVER anchor your program files directory!!!
     
  7. ErikAlbert

    ErikAlbert Registered Member

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    Well, I said in the beginning of my post that it was a bad idea; but I didn't use the word "never". :D

    However, there are users, who have a separate partition for :
    1. Windows
    2. Programs
    3. Data.
    I don't know how they do it, but it can't be a pure separation, they probably use that partition "Programs" for third-party applications and not for MS Applications.
    It's not the same as anchoring the folder "Program Files", but it is nevertheless a separation, which is IMO not necessary.
     
  8. mike21

    mike21 Registered Member

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    I downloaded the trial today and I have a question: I have an relatively old AMD-3200 and 2 hard disks in raid0 configuration, C:\ ~80GB and D:\ ~220GB

    In C:\ there are all my programs and a huge truecrypt container as its my home PC and nothing else.

    All my data like picture, video or audio files are placed in D:\

    I tried anchor my documents etc but when I click add>browse for a folder, but this is possible only with folders from C:\

    So firstdefense makes snapshots only from disk containing windows and all other hard disks are excluded?
     
  9. screamer

    screamer Registered Member

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    FD-ISR works on the partition that it and the OS are installed on. In my case E:
    You can store Archives .arx on other discs

    hth,

    ...screamer
     
  10. ErikAlbert

    ErikAlbert Registered Member

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    That is true. FDISR ignores any other partition or harddisk, except the one where FDISR is installed and this is usually partition [C:] and all bootable snapshots (2 upto 10) have to be stored on this partition.

    However you can store ARCHIVES on any other partition or harddisk at freewill. Also the Freeze Storage of a frozen snapshot can be stored on any other partition or harddisk.
    The number of archives is unlimited until the harddisk is full of course. LOL.
     
  11. mike21

    mike21 Registered Member

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    What do I gain if I archive .arx on other disks, is there any difference than to manually archive zips or rars on other disks?

    I understand that an app like this cares about the partition where the operating system is installed but I have some .exe files on D: and I know these can be infected without an AV and therefore lost.

    A quick comment, I installed it today and I must admit that I like the simplicity and minimal resource usage when idle, at least compared with vmware
     
  12. ErikAlbert

    ErikAlbert Registered Member

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    In order to make Immediate System Recovery possible, you need minimum 2 snapshots and FDISR starts with
    1. Primary Snapshot, created by FDISR = work snapshot for daily use.
    2. Secondary Snapshot, created by you = rollback snapshot, in case something goes wrong in your primary snapshot.
    That is the classical minimum setup.

    Most FDISR users prefer to work with archives, because that is a backup, so they create.
    1. Primary Snapshot and Primary Archive
    2. Secondary Snapshot and Secondary Archive.
    The Primary Snapshot has still the function of work snapshot.
    The Secondary Snapshot doesn't need to be a rollback snapshot anymore, because the Primary Archive can be used as a rollback archive.
    Because the secondary snapshot is no rollback snapshot anymore and has only the function of refuge snapshot, the contents of the secondary snapshot can be reduced to the minimum. It only has to contain Windows and that's it. This is the most space saving setup of FDISR.

    If your primary snapshot is corrupted, you boot in your secondary snapshot and you copy/update from Primary Archive to Primary Snapshot and then you boot back in your primary and you are back in business.

    So you have to store these archives on another harddisk.
    You can't store these archives on the same harddisk of FDISR, because this harddisk can be corrupted in such way, that you can't reach your archives anymore.
    I store my archives on an off-line external harddisk along with the images of my Image Backup software.

    Copy/Update from Primary Snapshot to Primary Archive also UPDATES Primary Archive and that happens very fast (seconds, minuts).

    Image Backup + Immediate System Restore = complete backup/restore solution and they almost cover eachother completely, except in case of harddisk crashes and a corrupt FDISR, only your Image Backup will save you then, not FDISR.

    P.S. :
    Another way to save your work snapshot is a frozen snapshot.
    In that case your Freeze Storage = rollback archive.
    The Freeze Storage = actual freeze storage and previous freeze storage, so you have two freeze storage in one file called "Freeze Storage.arx".
    A frozen snapshot allows any change as a normal snapshot, but all changes are removed during reboot.
     
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2007
  13. mike21

    mike21 Registered Member

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    Thanks for your reply ErikAlbert

    I will have a detailed look tomorrow, because its already past eleven tonight here my eyes are bleeding...
     
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