Multiple Cyclic Backups, part 1

The Disk Backup 10 manual states that it supports a cyclic backup of only one partition at a time. It will, however, schedule multiple tasks. If I have multiple partitions and schedule cyclic backups of each, to run at different times:

1. What does DB10 do if a task starts before an earlier task has completed?

2. Is there a way to concatenate the scripts from the separate tasks so that the tasks must run sequentially?

 

DrumMemory,

1. If a task is scheduled to start while another task is still running, the scheduled task will not start.

2. To combine operations into one task, simply perform all of the operations you would like, in order, in virtual mode (do not hit "apply"), then go to "Changes" and select "Generate Script" or "Save to Scheduler". This will generate a script, and/or schedule it, with all of the tasks that you performed.

 

Paragon_Matt,

Thank you for your nice explanation. However .... I can't find my way to enabling virtual mode in the way you use it. I have virtual mode checked in program settings. But the cyclic backup wizard, which seems to be the only place to turn on cyclic backups, apparently doesn't want to work in virtual mode. I've tried this in both the free version and then the trial version of DB10. Is this a feature that is only unlocked when I purchase the product?

 

Paragon Tommy has posted a very nice solution to a more general problem on my "part 2" post. See http://ftp.paragon.eu.com/US/DB/DB10_Custom_Cyclic_Backup.pdf for his careful notes. His directions for the "first week" are enough to solve the problem I raised in this post. A small bit of customization is required, but the result can be tuned to fit specific requirements.

The gist of his solution is that
1) Smart Backup allows us to select partitions to build an image from whatever disk or disks we have mounted.
2) The differential backup engine works from an image and hence the files, partitions or disks reflected in the image. If the image involves several partitions, the differential backup engine will be able to capture recent changes to any of those partitions.

Smart Backup deserves more emphasis in the user documentation than the single page it receives now. It is the tool in DB10 that allows us to work on a basis other than one disk or one partition at a time. I'm new to DB10 and I didn't understand that capability from the manual. Kudos to Paragon Tommy for his insight.