Backup locations don't work so fine for me

As described in thread https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=160487, I decided to use TI 10 Home, due to the implementation in this version of backup locations.

On January the 6 I have built my backup location on my removable HD.
The number of backups is limited to 12.

I have defined my backup task too.

The task makes an image of disk C: (System)
It makes an image of partition D: (Users) on my RAID1 array
The remaining partition of the array, F: (Data), has no backup

The task save backups in the backup location and performs a validation after backups.

The backup is Differential and a full backup is required after 3 differential backups.

The task is not scheduled, because the disk disk is usaully off line.
I usually schedule the task on saturday evening, I log out my user and hot plug the disk.
Later I come back and use the PC while backup validation is in progress.

I had a full backup on 2007-01-06, and 3 differential backups on 2007-01-13, 2007-01-20, 2007-01-27.

On saturday 2007-02-03, I have made my backup as usual and I assumed to obtain a full backup.
No: I have 4 Differential bacukps!

I would like to have a full backup every 4 weeks and a weekly differential.
What must I do to obtain the result I want?

 

I red all threads about using backup locations.
May anybody help me please?

 

Testing backup locations

I have done my homework.

I have build my test backup location, defined a file based backup task and lunched it lots of times.
I have defined that a full backup must be done every 3 differentials.

I have manually lunched the backups or scheduled them for a run once on the next minute.
Usually all work fine and I have a full backup every 3 differentials.

But there is a strange behavior.
If I modify the task to force a validation after backup, the counter of differential backups resets.
If I modify the task after the full backup, I have 4 differential backups before the full backup.
If I modify the task after the 3rd differential, I have 7 differential backups before the full backup.
If I go on modifying the task, I get no full backup, since I have done 4 backups without modifications.

Here is the cause of my real life backup problem: I forced the validation modifying the task after my first backup, so I have to wait another differential backup before having the full backup.

Why isn't this behavior documented?

 

Sometimes practice is worst then theory

As described in my latest post, I have made my tests and identified a strange behavavior in backup locations.

I have seen that modifying a task resets the counter of differentials backups and reschedules the next full backup.

I had modified my task between the first and the second backup: checked file date against logs.

Therefore I was waiting to have 4 differential before the the full backup, due to the bug just discovered.

But there must be something else that doesn't work: I have my 5th differential, while TI10 must have another bug...

Can somebody help me, please?

 

It's disappointing to see the lack of response to your posts. I'm on 2 different threads posting regarding virtually identical problem today with no official response. If you look through the forum there are many, many posts with this problem.
I wish I was able to provide you with some help but I'm as stuck as you and many others are. I just consider myself lucky that I'm only trialing this program right now. I sure don't see myself becoming a purchaser with these issues and the lack of acknowledgement by Acronis that they have a serious issue with this feature.

 

Hello GianniC,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

We are sorry for the delayed response.

Please note that I have forwarded this issue to our appropriate person in Acronis Development Team and will let you know the results of their investigation as soon as possible. As this can take a few days, I apologize in advance for any delay with the response.

Thank you.
--
Aleksandr Isakov

 

Backup locations still don't work for me

I have submitted a request to Acronis support.

They told me that buil 4940 solved my problem.
They told me to fully uninstall the previous version of TI.
They told me to recreate the backup location and the backup task.
They told me to start with a new full backup too.

I have done everything.
The new task uses incremental backups instead of differentials. It is set to do a new full backup every 3 incremental backups.
The new backup location is on the same disk the old one was.
I have copied the old backups in the new folder and forced a new full backup.
After that, I have I have gone on scheduling the task, manually, to run once: I do it every week, after inserting my backup disk in its tray.

Today I have reached my incremental backup number 5...
I am quite tired to fight with this software.

 

Backup locations: is somebody using them?

Wow.
I have reopened my support call to Acronis and they have just told me

Really nice. I knew that.

At this point, does somebody really use Backup Locations to store incremental image backups?
I mean: does somebody save an image backup in a backup location, using the rule to rotate between full and incremental backups?

Thanks for every response.

 

Hi,
I am a user of the scheduled backup plan as my computer runs 24 hrs a day.
However, I don't use neither incremental nor differential backup methods but full backup every week, the latest being automatically removed and it works great.

I don't trust differential and particularly incremental backups in case of restore.One corrupt file and you're done.

 

Re: Backup locations: is somebody using them?

I read somewhere that backup locations don't work on NAS and have other bugs. I gave up using this feature altogether, when I could get it to work it took ages before recreating the new full backup. So programming a new full backup wihtout Backup locations is faster and safer, you just need to know when to stop creating incrementals, manually.

 

Re: Backup locations: is somebody using them?

Hello GianniC,

Below is a quotation from your post #3

As far as I understood, the backup polices work correctly unless you modify the scheduled task. This issue was reported to Acronis Development Team and we are still working on it.

In addition, as I can see the backup location was created on the external hard drive. Could you please create a new backup location on the local hard drive and check its functionality? Please let us know the results.

Thank you.
--
Aleksandr Isakov

 

I have to clarify something, I suppose.

First my hardware:

• Controller 0 (ICH5R, SATA)
  Disk 0 (Raid 1 on SATA disks)
  Partition D: (Users)
  Contains D:\Documents and Settings, that is all users data
  Partition F: (Data)
  Contains data that need no backup
  
• Controller 1 (SIL3112A, SATA)
  Disk 1 (SATA)
  Partition C: (System)
  Active boot partition contains C:\Windows, C:\Program Files and the swap file
  Disk 2 (SATA)
  Partition G: (Backup)
  Contains my backup location
  While the controller supports hot swap, this disk is inserted and enabled every time I need to backup.
  After backups, it is disabled and removed.

As you can see I have no "external" HD, only a SATA HD mounted on a tray. No strange PATA/SATA/USB bridge on the connection.

Second my troubles:

• I make regular backups of whole disk 1 (C: ) and D: into a single archive.
  I would like to keep in my backup zone at least 3 full backup and up to 3 incremental for every full backup.
  That means max 12 files.
• I have never been able to obtain an automatic full backup after the first one (As stated in my posts #4 and #7)
• Trying to fix the reason of this issue, I have made some tests. (As stated in post #3)
  My tests were based on a test backup location on F: (disk 0).
  I have tested files backup, not partition backups, due to the lack of space.
  During this tests I found the strange behavior described in post #3: if I change my backup task, the counter of done differential backups reset.
  Therefore I supposed this behavior to be the culprit.
• Unfortunately, the behavior noticed during tests is not the culprit: even if I have not changed the backup task anymore, I have obtained 8 differential backups.
  My post #4 stated 5, but they continued over and over.
• Upgrading to version 4940, rebuilding my backup zone, forcing a full backup and changing differential to incremental did not solve the problem. I am always getting only incremental backup and no full backup in my backup zone, even if I don't change my backup task. I told this in my post #7.

Third what I can do:

• Please Isakov, tell me which tests I should do: I will make them this evening.

 

Hello GianniC,

Thank you for the clarifications.

Could you please first download and install the latest build (4942) of Acronis True Image 10.0 Home?

After that create a new backup location on F partition. Create a new scheduled task to back up several files/folders to this backup location and set backup policies to create full backup after 3 incremental or differential backup (as you did before). Set the scheduled task to "Do not start automatically".

Then start the created task manually and check if the backup rules apply correctly.

If not, please collect the log file from Acronis True Image that contains the results of the backup creation (the one when full backup should be created).

Please also create Windows System Information as it is described in Acronis Help Post.

Having collected the above information send it to Acronis Support Team. We will investigate the problem and try to provide you with a solution.

Thank you.
--
Aleksandr Isakov