Limit number of remote images...?

Howdy,

I am experimenting with the Trial Version of Acronis True
Image after using Ghost 9 and V2i Protector on several
systems.

With Ghost, or V2i it is easy to create a "job" that will
send a predetermined number of images to a remote system and
then delete the oldest and replace it with the newest when
that limit is reached.

I would like to create the same arrangement with TI, but
can't seem to figure out how to do it.

I can create a scheduled image creation, and have the image
go to the remote machine properly, but, for now, I can't
figure out how to keep those images from accumulating.

I have read the manual with some care, and understand that
the Secure Zone has the functionality that I want, but...

I have created a Secure Zone on the remote machine
successfully, but when I try to create an image from the
local machine the remote Secure Zone is not displayed as an
available option (whether, or not, I have "Connected" to the
remote machine in Console.)

So, I think that I understand how to automate the creation
of a limited number of current backups if they are stored
locally, but not to the remote machine.

Might you assist?

Very sincere thanks,

--
Kenneth

 

Hello Kenneth,

Thank you for choosing Acronis True Image (http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/).

We are really sorry for the inconveniences.

We regret to inform you that you can't set the number of images you want to create. If you store the images to Acronis Secure Zone without deleting the old images you will obtain the "Acronis Secure Zone is full" error some day.

There exists the workaround for image number controlling. You may schedule the full image creation once a week, for example on Sunday night, and six incrementals (on Monday to Saturday). In this case you will always have 7 image files because the old images will be replaced with the new ones.

As for the Acronis Secure Zone availability, could you please send a screenshot where you have to choose the storage place to support@acronis.com. We will try to help you with this problem.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

Hi Ilya,

I thank you for your response, but...

I want to be absolutely certain that I am understanding this correctly (I guess that I can't quite believe it <g>.)

With other products, I have simply created a full system image each evening, and sent it to a remote system. Because these images are large (about 13 gig) I set the other products to retain four images only. Then, when the fifth was created, the first was deleted.

As a result, I could very easily roll back one, two, three, or four days.

Do I understand correctly that there is no way to do that with TI?

Very sincere thanks, again,
Kenneth

 

Hi again Ilya,

I neglected to respond to a part of your comments:

You asked about the Secure Zone.

Do I correctly understand that the Secure Zone functions only locally? That is, it cannot be used if located on a remote system?

If so, that was my problem...

Thanks,
Kenneth

 

Hello Kenneth,

Please accept my apologises for the vagueness of the explanation. I gave you the example for the 7-day-strategy. It can be easily modified into 4 or 5 day strategy (or any other you need). If you follow it you will be able to restore the full image (in my example, your system state on the last Sunday) and all successive incremental images (in my example, all the states after the last Sunday). So the result is almost the same as you obtained with other software previously.

If this explanation seems to be vague please feel free to ask me again and I will describe my idea in other words.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

Hi again Ilya,

I will read up on the incremental approach and will get back to you if I need further assistance...

Thanks,
Kenneth

 

Hi again Ilya,

I understand aspects of the incremental process, but still have questions:

Suppose I want to do what I understand you to have suggested:

If I schedule a full image for each Sunday and I schedule incremental images for each other day of the week, it seems to me that pretty soon, my remote drive will be filled.

How do I tell TI to delete something so that the process can continue?

Thanks,
Kenneth

 

Hello Kenneth,

Your drive will not be filled up in several days. It will always contain 7 files (except the first week when there are less of them) and the old files will be replaced with the new ones. It will happen because the name of the image will be the same every week and you can't have two different files with one name in one folder.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

Hello Ilya,

I have tried on a few occasions to set up the sort of process that you suggest. Each time, I get the message that the job was created successfully, but then, the troubles begin.

Usually, the full image is created, then one incremental image, then nothing more.

At that point, I get the error:

Module 4
10(0x4000A)

With the note:

Please press Retry to try again or press cancel to cancel the operation and stop.: Retry/Cancel.

Can you please tell me what that error means, and what I might do to prevent it?

Sincere thanks,
Kenneth

 

Hello Kenneth,

Please send the screenshot of the error and a link to this thread to support@acronis.com. Also please do the following:

- Download the http://www.acronis.com/files/support/schedmgr.exe file;
- Start the Command Prompt from Start -> Programs -> Accessories menu;
- Run the following command in the folder you saved the file to:

schedmgr get report > schedreport.txt

- Send the created schedreport.txt file to support@acronis.com as well.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

Hi Ilya,

I have two responses to your suggestions:

1: Is there a way that I can speak with someone about these problems? I ask because at the rate that we are making progress, it will take months before I will have my problem solved.

2: I followed your suggestion precisely, but it did not work because the file SCHEDMGR.EXE was not in my path. Once I corrected that, I was able to run schedmge and it idsplayed on screen. It also created the log file that you asked me to post. But, when I looked at the log file it was blank each of the many times I ran the process.

Thanks again,
Kenneth

 

Hello Kenneth,

We regret to inform you that currently we do not provide phone support.

Please try to do the following:
- Run schedmgr.exe file;
- Input the command

get report

Please take a screenshot of what you will see after the output (please take the screenshots of all parts of the output) and send to support@acronis.com along to the link to this thread. Please indicate in the subject of the letter that you want to contact Ilya Toytman. I will try to help you with the solution.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

 

Hi Ilya,

When I originally asked about limiting the number of remote images automatically you responded:

"We regret to inform you that you can't set the number of images you want to create. If you store the images to Acronis Secure Zone without deleting the old images you will obtain the "Acronis Secure Zone is full" error some day.

There exists the workaround for image number controlling. You may schedule the full image creation once a week, for example on Sunday night, and six incrementals (on Monday to Saturday). In this case you will always have 7 image files because the old images will be replaced with the new ones."

But, I just realized that there might be another approach better suited to my needs.

Suppose I created a scheduled full image for Monday at 10PM to a file called Monday.TIB, and another for Tuesday at 10PM to a file called Tuesday.TIB etc.

After a week, it would seem that I would have seven images created. Then, the Monday.TIB image would be overwirtten by another of the same name, and that would be true for each successive day.

If I am correct in understanding this, I would then always have stored 7 complete images which was exactly what I wanted.

Am I correct in describing the process above?

Sincere thanks,
Kenneth