help in backup strategy

having used just this week TI8 I have a couple questions on backup strategy and how-to deal with a recovery/disaster (just to understand the steps)

here's what I've done and would like to hear comments and suggestions, even critique is welcome

1. created a full image of system and set permanent location for full image on a LAN server with 600 gb empty space (1st time image too just 20 gb .tib)
2. create a daily scheduled job which creates an incremental image and it seems to create a 500k to 1mb size .tib file with same name as the full image but a number at the end which increments

first, is there anything wrong in doing it this way ?
secondly, should I experience a total crash, loading the system back up would automatically find the original image plus all the accumulated daily increment files, no matter how many there are - right?

would it be better to occasionally create a new total image and then wipe out the previous total image plus all the daily increments up until that point?
If so, I am assuming this is just a manual delete in explorer and TI8 does not care if the files are killed or does it maintain a database of these and would it throw a fit if it can't find the backups from 1-2-3 months ago?

 

I think your strategy is ok. It's nothing wrong in your incremental images: every incremental backup has the same name of the complete plus a progressive number. If you try a restore you can choose the image you want.
Maybe you can schedule a montly full image and, when you are shure it's all ok you can delete you previous total image plus all the daily increments in explorer and continue to make you incremental on the new full image (but if you have no space problems - 600 Gb is enough - you can delete after another months). True Image have no database, only logs that you can also delete.
I use to name my images aaaammgg- so for example the names are: 20041015-1.tib plus 20041015-2.tib and so on.

Quote:
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secondly, should I experience a total crash, loading the system back up would automatically find the original image plus all the accumulated daily increment files, no matter how many there are - right?
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Correct! You can choose the image you need.

 

Your strategy is good enough!

We also recommend you to create Bootable rescue CD and try to boot from it in order to be sure that it will work if failure occurs. Also please try to access your backup server from this bootable CD.

Thank you.

--
Best regards,
Andrew Berezovsky

Acronis, Inc.
395 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 213
South San Francisco, CA 94080 USA
http://www.acronis.com/

Acronis support department
e-mail: support@acronis.com

Acronis... compute with confidence

 

: Also please try to access your backup server from this bootable CD.

well, that does not work since no networking components are loaded

that presents a dilemma, I can boot with a BARTPE bootloader CD and it of course allows me to load networking, how do I do that with TI8 boot CD ?

 

Please read the following information on our site:

http://www.acronis.com/products/trueimage/faq.html#14

If it doesn't help please contact support@acronis.com

Thank you.

--
Best regards,
Andrew Berezovsky

Acronis, Inc.
395 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 213
South San Francisco, CA 94080 USA
http://www.acronis.com/

Acronis support department
e-mail: support@acronis.com

Acronis... compute with confidence

 

Trying to understand backup strategy. Say I do a full backup and then 3 incremental backups. My backup drive has the following files:

IDE primary master.tib
IDE primary master 1.tib
IDE primary master 2.tib
IDE primary master 3.tib

(Not sure if the incrementing numbers are right since I've never done an incremental backup yet.)

So if I want to restore ALL changes to a new IDE primary master drive, I would select the "IDE primary master 3.tib" backup.

But say stuff I did after the 2 backup caused problems so I don't want to use the 3 backup. I just select the 2 backup and TI8 will only use it and earlier backups but not the 3 backup? Or will TI8 look for ALL backups and include the 3 backup even if I told it to use the 2 backup?

(PS: I know that I could do a system restore in WinXP to go back to the 2 backup point, but I want to understand how TI8 restores work.)

Thanks,
Skyhawk

 

Hello Skyhawk,

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

When you select the image file (no matter the full one or the incremental) and press the "Next" button Acronis True Image will list the dates of the full backup and all incremental backups you have created to this full backup. You will be able to choose the date and your computer will be restored to the state it was at this date.

Thank you.

--
Best regards,
Andrew Berezovsky

 

Comments anyone ??

The risks of say the first image was done with TI8 bld 760 and the next incremental was done with TI8 bld 761 and the latest incremental is done with TI8 764.

 

Thanks Andrew. That clears it up very nicely.
Skyhawk

 

Hello mecalvint,

The image created by any version of Acronis True Image will be certanly recognized by any later version.

Thank you.

--
Best regards,
Andrew Berezovsky