ATI vs. FDISR in space

No, it isn't a SF-movie , but an experiment to see
1. how much space ATI needs to keep 10 images with normal compression.
2. how much space FDISR needs to keep 10 snapshots on system partition [C:]
Both started with the same partition [C:] = winXPproSP2 + Softwares, but no personal data.
My system partition has a maximum capacity of 48,8gb.

After each backup, I wrote the used space of the system backup partition [E:] down.

Acronis True Image .........Bytes ........KB ....MB ...GB
------------------ -------------- ---------- ------ -----
System Backup-01.. .3,166,523,392 .3,092,308 .3,020 .2.95
System Backup-02.. .6,264,217,600 .6,117,400 .5,974 .5.83
System Backup-03.. .9,362,087,936 .9,142,664 .8,928 .8.72
System Backup-04.. 12,460,077,056 12,168,044 11,883 11.60
System Backup-05.. 15,558,234,112 15,193,588 14,837 14.49
System Backup-06.. 18,656,493,568 18,219,232 17,792 17.38
System Backup-07.. 21,754,859,520 21,244,980 20,747 20.26
System Backup-08.. 24,853,340,160 24,270,840 23,702 23.15
System Backup-09.. 27,951,906,816 27,296,784 26,657 26.03
System Backup-10.. 31,050,567,680 30,322,820 29,612 28.92

So ATI needs 28.92gb to store 10 images of 6.44gb
Each image backup took lesser than 3 minutes.
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After each reboot I wrote the used space of the system partition [C:] down.
So I rebooted each time with the last snapshot to create the next snapshot.

FirstDefense-ISR.. .........Bytes ........KB ....MB ...GB
------------------ -------------- ---------- ------ -----
Without FDISR..... .6,914,281,472 .6,752,228 .6,594 .6.44
System-Snapshot-01 .6,948,712,448 .6,785,852 .6,627 .6.47
System-Snapshot-02 11,669,884,928 11,396,372 11,129 10.87
System-Snapshot-03 16,397,799,424 16,013,476 15,638 15.27
System-Snapshot-04 21,138,767,872 20,643,328 20,160 19.69
System-Snapshot-05 25,871,982,592 25,265,608 24,673 24.10
System-Snapshot-06 30,609,133,568 29,891,732 29,191 28.51
System-Snapshot-07 35,349,893,120 34,521,380 33,712 32.92
System-Snapshot-08 40,094,404,608 39,154,692 38,237 37.34
System-Snapshot-09 44,842,553,344 43,791,556 42,765 41.76
System-Snapshot-10 49,596,735,488 48,434,312 47,299 46.19

Was there an 11th snapshot?
No and it was a big relief for me, because I had only 2.63gb left, which wasn't enough for a next snapshot.
But there was still the option "<New Archive>" to choose, which I didn't test yet.

So FDISR needs 46,19gb to store 10 snapshots of 6,44gb
Each snapshot took 10-12 minutes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion :

FDISR minus ATI = 17.27gb. So FDISR needs 17.27gb more space than ATI.

Booting from another snapshot is in FDISR indeed fast, but I lose 10-12 minutes to create a new snapshot and creating a new archive won't be faster.

Restoring from another image in ATI is slow and requires about the same time to create a FDISR-snapshot.
But backup in ATI is less than 3 minutes, including verification.

The big advantage of FDISR is booting from a snapshot.
Because you normally reboot more than creating a new snapshot/archive you will save alot more time, than restoring an image with ATI.

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This was also an opportunity for me to test the restore of ATI again in an extreme situation.
I restored my previous backup without FDISR on it over an almost full system partition [C:] with 10 snapshots without any problems and of course after that there was no FDISR anymore.
I will do some more testing of course.

 

Peter,
No I don't have my external harddisk yet, but I need to get familiar with FDISR first.
I use my second internal harddisk as backup for the moment, which wasn't my intention, but I need a backup for all my other experiments and learning new softwares takes time too and will keep me busy for awhile.

Acronis True Image is working great here and I tried to break it in any possible way I could think of, but whatever I do, it keeps on working without any problem.
I will test ATI with FDISR on my computer now, maybe I can break it this way.

 

Yes, I know I can save archives on my 2nd drive, but both harddisks (WD Raptors 10000rpm) are faster than my external harddisk (7200rpm)
So backup/restore TIME won't be the same.
If you are interested in the TIME, I will give you the wrong time, when I use my second internal harddisk.

 

I have a pretty good isolated computer case "Antec Case Sonata II".
I don't hear anything, but my hearing isn't what it used to be. So I wouldn't count on me.

 

Peter,
Creating a snapshot takes 10m26s
Creating an archive takes 9m12s
Restoring an archived snapshot takes 8m29s

The time isn't of course always the same. It depends on the writing speed, which changes constantly, but I don't think I have to tell you this. LOL

So it seems that working with archived snapshots is indeed faster than working with unarchived snapshots.
The difference isn't big in this example, but my system partition [C:] doesn't contain many applications either, because this is a test machine for the moment.
The difference will increase for larger volumes.


P.S.:
FDISR mentions in fact two times, when the job is done : main screen and detail screen and both times have a small difference, which is a bit ridiculous.
If I would see this at work in my applications, I would call our computer department to correct this, because this difference causes all kinds of unnecessary questions or reactions of users :
- some users will laugh at it, because the computer can't count.
- some users will think, which one of both times is correct and ask for it?
- some users will think, if the time is wrong, what else is wrong?
I know, it's hairsplitting, but I work with users all the time and our computer department is quite isolated from the real world. So they don't hear user's reactions.

The button "Hide Details" is an unnecessary gadget IMO, just show the whole screen.
The box "Close when task has completed" is always marked and until now I couldn't find a setting to change the default value of this box.
I like to see the results when the job is done and I always have to unmark this box, if I don't forget it.

 

After the job is done the upper part mentions the time indeed, something like this : 13 minutes 6 seconds.
The time is also mentioned in the lower part and they are often different, maybe all the time

I'm not familiar with refresh yet, an explanation would speed up my testing.

 

Peter,
So if I install Online Armor in the secondary and I like it.
My source will be the secondary and my target will be the primary and when the primary is refreshed the primary will contain Online Armor as well.
Is that how it works basically ? If yes, I got it.

 

OK. I got it, it saves me alot of reading and translating LOL.

 

Yes, but that's no excuse for me for not correcting the program.
Each processing program has a start-time (= computer clock time) and a stop-time (= computer clock time).
The "REAL elapsed time" = stop-time minus start-time.

Once the program is finished, the only thing the programmer has to do is replacing the "ESTIMATED elapsed time" with the "REAL elapsed time" on the screen and in that case both elapsed times are equal on the screen.
The user doesn't need to know this, he can't see what happens behind the screen, he isn't fooled either, because he has the "REAL elapsed time" on his screen and he has no reason anymore to worry about the difference.
We use that little trick in our computer department too, a programmer can put ANYTHING on a screen, no matter what the program does.

 

I can understand that, but I'm trained to pay attention to these things and believe it or not some users pay attention to these things too, especially when they have to work with an application all day long.

Besides, I like to know how long a processing program runs.

If I would work with FDISR and I do the same with ATI, I would pay ALOT OF attention to the "Source object" and the "Target object".
In case of FDISR the "Source Snapshot Number" and the "Target Snapshot Number",

 

For the first time, I restored an image with FDISR and two snapshots (primary and secondary) on it, over an existing partition with FDISR and six snapshots on it, without any problems.
ATI restored the .tib-file with a required reboot and when ATI was finished, my computer rebooted and the FDISR boot screen (+F1-key) showed up as normal and Windows started normally.
Another successfull test and a pratical proof that ATI and FDISR work together.
Unbelievable, but true and a fact is more respectable than the lord mayor of London, as my English teacher always said.

 

For the very first time, I was in trouble with ATI/FDISR. Keep in mind that I'm still trying to break ATI in every possible way and I only know FDISR for two days.

I restored from a .tib-file without FDISR on it over an existing partition with FD-ISR on it.
After the restore my computer rebooted and then I saw the FDISR Pre-boot Screen (+F1).
How was that possible? And Windows was working properly.

I rebooted and the FDISR Preboot Screen (+F1) was still there.
I pressed the F1 and got a red message

$ISR folder not found.
FirstDefense-ISR ERROR - Press any key to reboot Windows.

So I hit ENTER, which belongs to the family Any Key and Windows started normally.

I said by myself "It can't be that c:\$isr\0\$isrbin-thingy", because it was never there and the red message confirms it. Maybe it was the MBR-thingy."
So I restored the MBR-record of that specific .tib-file, using Acronis True Image and that worked. Everything back to normal. Big sigh of relief.

 

Peter,
I don't know if it is the same as Error=0, but I activated something else in FDISR.

I clicked on Tools/Options/Tasks
and marked the option "Verify destination snapshot after copy"
I clicked on Tools/Options/Schedules
and marked the option "Verify destination snapshot after copy".

And this verification really runs, although very fast. Much faster as in ATI.
But I guess checking "Error=0" won't hurt my feelings either.

 

OK. Peter, I hope you have read my previous posts above the error=0 issue about my problems with the MBR-record, using ATI and FDISR together.
I think it's the only case, where you can have a problem with the MBR.
It was nothing serious, because my system still worked during that problem.
I told you about it, just in case you would do a similar action.
An average FDISR-user won't have that problem.