Simple Backup Schedule

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by Cbones, Jan 4, 2008.

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  1. Cbones

    Cbones Registered Member

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    I am trying to make a simple schedule, but somehow it is just not working correctly. What I would like to do is have 3 weeks of a a full backup followed by incrementals for the respective week. I have set TI11 to perform a Full image on Monday of week one setting the task to run every 2 weeks, I then have the incremental run every 2 weeks to the same backup location. I then have a separate task set to run every 3 weeks with a full image, followed by an incremental each day of that (week 3). I then set another task to run every 4 weeks starting with a full followed by incrementals of that week. Unfortunately, my result is that it starts to work ok then eventually I start getting double image tasks running in the same week and in some weeks I am not getting any tasks to run at all. Space is not an issue as I have plenty of room available for all the backups to reside on the drive which is part of a large RAID setup. Any suggestions to get this to run properly would be extremely appreciated, as I am running out of hair to pull out!
     
  2. sparkymachine

    sparkymachine Registered Member

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    Leaving aside all the tasks you have set up, I can't work out what the overall backup strategy is.

    Are you backing up the whole system?

    Let me know if this is correct - At any one time you would like to be able to have a full image for the current week + incrementals for that week and up to 3 further full images for the previous 3 weeks, covering up to 4 weeks in total - or not!

    If so, you can do all that with one task.
     
  3. thraxx78

    thraxx78 Registered Member

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    How about utilizing the following script created from a cat at Acronis. Copy everything below and create a batch file from it. Follow the commands really, it's pretty self explanatory. But this will allow you to create backup Sets. So, you can have X sets of Y backups. MUCH Easier then almost anything else your going to think of.

    @ECHO OFF
    CLS

    REM ======= Batch file for mamanging backup sets saved to a network share =================

    REM ======= Created by Alexey Popov (Alexey.Popov@acronis.com), version 1i ================

    REM ======= HOW TO USE ====================================================================
    REM Rename the file from pre.txt to pre.bat
    REM Set up one daily\weekly\monthly scheduled task selecting the option to "create incremental if possible"
    REM Set this batch file as a pre-backup command
    REM In the "Arguments" field of the pre-backup command specify the parameters described below diving them by one space

    REM ======= PARAMETERS DESCRIPTION ========================================================
    REM %1 - path to the backup folder (\\machinename\foldername), e.g. \\xpmachine4\backups
    REM %2 - username used for accessing the network path, e.g. Administrator
    REM %3 - password, e.g. password
    REM %4 - total amount of backups in each set (full + all incrementals), e.g. 2
    REM %5 - amount of older backup sets you want to keep (set = 1 full + all its subsequent incrementals), e.g. 3
    REM NOTE: total amount of backup sets will always be (%5 + 1) because there is always 1 current backup set and %5 older sets

    REM ======= GETTING THE ACCESS TO THE NETWORK SHARE =======================================
    NET USE %1 %3 /USER:%2

    REM ======= COUNTING HOW MANY *.tib FILES ARE IN THE PARENT FOLDER ========================
    SET /a numfiles = 0
    FOR %%i in (%1\*.tib) do SET /a numfiles += 1

    REM ======= WHAT TO DO IF THERE ARE %4 FILES ALREADY? =====================================
    IF NOT %numfiles% LSS %4 (GOTO check folders) ELSE (GOTO eof)

    REM ======== CHECKING THE FOLDERS =========================================================
    :check folders

    REM ======= COUNTING HOW MANY SET* FOLDERS ARE ALREADY THERE ==============================
    SET /a numfolders = 0
    FOR /D %%i in (%1\set*) do SET /a numfolders += 1

    REM ======= WHAT TO DO IF THERE ARE %5 FOLDERS ALREADY? ===================================
    IF NOT %numfolders% LSS %5 (GOTO folder_rotate) ELSE (GOTO move_files)

    REM ======= FOLDER ROTATION CYCLE =========================================================
    :folder_rotate

    REM ======== DELETING THE OLDEST FOLDER (set1) ============================================
    IF EXIST %1\set1 RD /S /Q %1\set1

    REM ========= ROTATING THE FOLDERS (SETTING VARIABLES) ====================================
    SET /a numfolders -=1
    SET /a next = 1

    REM ========= ROTATION (CYCLE) ============================================================
    FOR /L %%G IN (1,1,%numfolders%) DO (call :do_renames %%G %1)
    GOTO move_files

    REM ========= FOLDER RENAMES (CALLED BY A CYCLE) ==========================================
    :do_renames
    SET /a next += 1
    MOVE %2\set%next% %2\set%1
    GOTO eof2

    REM ========= MOVE FILES FUNCTION =========================================================
    :move_files

    REM ========= NUMBER OF EXISTING FOLDERS +1 ===============================================
    SET /a numfolders += 1

    REM ========= CREATING NEW SET* FOLDER ====================================================
    IF NOT EXIST %1\set%numfolders% MD %1\set%numfolders%

    REM ========= MOVING BACKUP FILES FROM PARENT FOLDER TO LATEST SET* =======================
    MOVE %1\*.tib %1\set%numfolders%

    REM ========= DO NOTHING 1 ================================================================
    :eof
    SET numfiles=
    SET numfolder=
    REM ========= RELEASING THE NETWORK SHARE =================================================
    NET USE %1 /delete /persistent:YES

    REM ========== DO NOTHING 2 ===============================================================
    :eof2
     
  4. sparkymachine

    sparkymachine Registered Member

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    Forgive me while I take some paracetamol!
     
  5. Cbones

    Cbones Registered Member

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    Sparkymachine
    Yes I am trying to have a whole system backup that will have 3 separate weeks of backup available. The backup drive is directly connected by usb. How can I do this in one task?

    thraxx78
    The batch file above seems to be directed at a network share. Will this work the same for a usb device, or do I have to modify the batch file?

    Thanks for the help!
     
  6. sparkymachine

    sparkymachine Registered Member

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    In the case I outlined then, I would need say a maximum of 4 full images and say 6 incrementals for each of them, which would be 28 backup files. If you had less than 28 then as soon as you hit every fifth image you would lose a week.

    So I would create a backup location and specify a limit of 28 in number and no other limit would be required.

    Select the task to run in that location to create an incremental and create a new full image after every 6 incrementals, and to run every day. The first time it ran it would create a full image anyway and then it would continue to roll round forever on a seven day basis. You would always have at least 22 days backup.
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2008
  7. Cbones

    Cbones Registered Member

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    Sparkymachine,

    I understand the limit on the backup location, but how do I tell TI to make a new full image after 6 incrementals in one task? Also if I use the same task, won't it write over itself each time it does a new full image?
     
  8. Strangeman

    Strangeman Registered Member

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    You need to create a backup location first, and then choose that location when creating your backup task - then you will get the option of choosing how many incrementals/differentials ATI should do between full backups.

    The other effect of creating and using a backup location is that ATI will automatically name files and also manage deletion of old backups according to the rules you set up when creating the location.
     
  9. sweepdog

    sweepdog Registered Member

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    LOL

    Thanks for that though thraxx. Contains commands that I didn't even know you could do in batch files for this kind of simple operation!
     
  10. shieber

    shieber Registered Member

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    Well, sometimes "simple" means hop three times while whistling dixie and counting backwards from 100. Generally not good alternatives to the rtfm ;-)
     
  11. sparkymachine

    sparkymachine Registered Member

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    Thanks for finishing that off for me. My PSU gave up last Saturday but all is now ok.
     
  12. sparkymachine

    sparkymachine Registered Member

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    Just to reassure you, no.
     
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