Scheduling start dates for interleaved backups

Discussion in 'Acronis True Image Product Line' started by dschoppe, Sep 1, 2005.

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  1. dschoppe

    dschoppe Guest

    I'd like to try a rotating backup schedule using interleaved cycles of Full backups plus incremental backups on alternating weeks. In other words, I always want at least a week history like this:

    Week1 (CycleA):
    FullA on Sun
    IncrA on Mon-Sat

    Week2 (CycleB):
    FullB on Sun
    IncrB on Mon-Sat

    Week3 (Cycle A, overwrite Week1)
    FullA on Sun
    IncrA on Mon-Sat

    Week4 (Cycle B, overwrite Week2)
    FullB on Sun
    IncrB on Mon-Sat

    The problem is that I cannot set a start date for the backups, so it is confusing to know when the tasks will actually run if I create them today (Thursday) for example.

    If today I schedule FullA to run every other Sunday, and then I schedule IncrA to run every other week (Mon-Sat), will the FullA be run this coming Sunday followed by the incrementals?

    But what if I force the FullA to run today? When will it run again? This coming Sunday, the one after (which is still under two weeks from today) or the third Sunday from now? Also, when will the IncrA backups run if starting FullA today?

    Finally, exactly when do I need to setup the second set of tasks for handling the B cycle?

    I must say that scheduling could be MUCH improved by simply allowing entry of a start date for scheduled tasks.

    Regards,
    Don
     
  2. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Apr 28, 2004
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    Hello Don,

    Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

    You can select the time and day you want in the "Weekly Parameters" window (the next window after the "Start Parameters" window). When you create a task, you can schedule to run it every 2 weeks, then you can create a second task.

    For example:
    1. To create a CycleA: you should create a Full Backup (FullA.tib) and schedule the program to create it weekly, then select the time and date (example: Start time 12.00 AM, every 2 weeks, Sunday), then schedule to create an incremental backup (IncrA.tib) and select to perform this task every day.
    2. In the next week please run a new task to create a Full Backup with the FullB name and an incremental one.

    Hopefully informed you well. If you have further questions concerning our software, please feel free to contact us again.

    Thank you.
    --
    Irina Shirokova
     
  3. dschoppe

    dschoppe Guest

    >2. In the next week please run a new task to create a Full Backup with the
    >FullB name and an incremental one.

    Thank you. It seems then that both A and B cycles cannot be configured at the same time, i.e., that I must wait a week before I can go back into TI and configure the B cycle. Are you considering improving the TI scheduling interface to allow specification of actual start dates so that one can configure activities in advance for any arbitrary start date? Another suggestion is to provide a "review" capability that shows exactly which tasks will be running on which dates according to configured tasks.

    Regards,
    Don
     
  4. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello dschoppe,

    We appreciate your collaboration on this matter.

    If you want us to change the behaviour of Acronis True Image in any way or add some new features to this product, please feel free to post any of your suggestions in Acronis True Image WISH-LIST thread.

    Thank you.
    --
    Alexey Popov
     
  5. offe

    offe Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2006
    Posts:
    3
    Do you have any information about how Acronis know when to run the scheduled tasks? I tried to change all the dates on the corresponding .tis file, but it had no effect on the schedules startdate:-(

    I have searched in the registry, .tis file and creation and modified dates of the tis file but no luck in tracing where Acronis finds the start date:-(

    I find it quite annoying. If you have planned interleaved cycles of backups that spanns a whole year. Then you will be finnished scheduling after 11 months!?

    I really hope this is solved in T9

    Best regards
    Ove
     
  6. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello offe,

    Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

    Please be aware that we do not recommend to change the scheduled tasks by editing a script files of the task. Please note that Acronis True Image 9.0 allows you to edit scheduled tasks by the folowing way:

    - Start Acronis True Image 9.0;
    - Select the 'View->Active Tasks' option;
    - Select the task that was already scheduled in the Active Tasks section;
    - Choose the 'Edit the selected task' option.

    If you have any further questions please feel free to ask.

    Thank you.
    --
    Kirill Omelchenko
     
  7. offe

    offe Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2006
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    3
    In order to get around the problem with setting start date I'm willing to try unrecommended ways.

    But I guess you do not want to share the info about where TI8 stores it's startdates. It's okay as long as it is fixed in TI9 and TI9 for server is released soon:)

    Best regards
    Ove Halseth
     
  8. offe

    offe Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2006
    Posts:
    3
    Siiiighhhhh, I can't belive that scheduling start date did not find it's way into ver. 9 of TI.

    And no help in getting around the problem:-(

    Will I be able to set this up at once if I change the systemdate one week ahead before making a new schedule for week 2?

    Could you please include start date in one of your first patches....

    Best regards
    Ove Halseth
     
  9. ee1

    ee1 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2005
    Posts:
    13
    Several versions ago, I gave up on the TI scheduler once I found this post which shows how to use the XP scheduler to run the TI backups:

    https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=106937

    I am using it with build 2337 and have not had a problem with backups running since I made the change to using the XP scheduler. I have seen at least one post that stated problems using this method with build 3567.

    Eric
     
  10. Acronis Support

    Acronis Support Acronis Support Staff

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    Hello offe,

    Please accept our apologies for the delay with the response.

    Yes, you will be able to schedule several pairs of tasks as it is described in dschoppe's initial post by temporarily changing date one week ahead. Please see these previous threads for details: Can TI9 control the number of backup sets?, differential back up Q's.

    Please be aware that the proposition to implement the "start date" parameter in Acronis True Image embedded scheduling service has already been forwarded to our Development Team and will certainly be taken into consideration.

    Thank you.
    --
    Alexey Popov
     
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