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full backup dependencies?

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Hi all,

Some years ago I started a backup which runs every day. In order not to use tons of harddisk, I manually delete all backup files older than two months except one every six month.
Now I need to restore some files inside a backup done two weeks ago. I thought that a full backup didn't depend on other backup but, if I try to open it, acronis asks for volume 1.
Started a chat with the tech support, and they said my backup is corrupted because volume 1 is missing.
Maybe this is a trivial question, but I don't find a guide saying what is a volume and why a full backup depends on something else. For the future, I'd like to undestand how I can do my backup scheme with no fails.

Can someone help me, please?

Thank you,

Lorenzo

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Lorenzo, welcome to these public User Forums.

First important question: what version of ATI are you using and what type of full backup files have been created?  Is this ATI 2020 and .tibx files?  If so, then the files are dependent on each other and should only be deleted using the 'Clean up versions' tool provided in the ATI GUI.

If your full backup files are still in .tib file format, then the error is caused by deleting files outside of ATI and leaving behind information about the files in the database that ATI uses.  You should run a Validation for the backup task that created the files and take the Ignore option for each error message about a missing file.

Greetings, Steve..
Your post above has me a bit confused, but hopefully needlessly concerned!
I’ve been using Acronis (ATI & ADD) for 10+ years. I recently installed ATI2020 on two of my computers, installation and backup task creations went smoothly after familiarizing myself with some new details about 2020 – such as tibx files, very lengthy task run time due to validation of all previous bkups, etc. (I stopped validating during the bkup task!!)
My tasks create FULL bkups only, non-scheduled. I run them manually, after any major change or addition—new or updated software, data files, etc. I would at times need to retrieve an item from one of the tib files. I haven't tried that yet with the new tibx files, but that is what brings me to my confusion about your answer post above.

In my tasks I take options:
scheme – custom scheme
method – full
store no more than ‘3’
and ‘no not delete first version’ is NOT checked

Based on your post, I would seem to have conflicting options. After 3 runs, would I then have the same situation as the first poster here due to the first version being deleted? I didn't run into that with earlier versions of ATI.

I guess I am just trying to be sure I understand clearly the issue of dependency of the current version on the earlier versions, particularly as relates to ‘full’ versions, before I find out too late that I have a problem!! I hope I gave you enough info to understand my question without getting TOO wordy!!

Thanks, Steve

 

Robert,

Please read section 4.5.2 of the user guide (link below) beginning on page 57 for clean up rules.

User Guide

Robert, there is a significant difference here with regards to the first .tibx file for a backup chain, and the option to not delete the first version of a backup.

With the new .tibx backups, including those for full backups only, the first .tibx file is converted into a 12kb metadata file as the chain increases in size, and it is that first file which needs to be protected as all subsequent files are dependent on it.

If you are not keeping the initial full version by virtue of not selecting to keep (not delete) the first backup file, then ATI will end up showing you 4 files for your backup scheme where you have set to keep no more than 3 recent versions.  This will be the 12kb metadata .tibx file, plus 3 further full backup files each having a numerical indicator such as -0001, -0002 etc.

The dependency here is for all of these files which comprise the current chain such that you should not delete or move any of the files outside of using the options provided within the ATI GUI.  This is a departure from earlier versions of ATI where all full backup files could be treated as being completely standalone and independent of each other.

The ATI automatic cleanup rules will take care of all the new dependency rules to maintain the integrity of the backup chain(s).

Steve,

Thanks so much for your detailed explanation of that issue. I do understand it now, and may would have earlier except for inability to break out of an old mode mentally and allow the mind to except a new mode!!

Thanks for your value to these forums!

Robert 

I also have difficulty in understanding the concept behind Full backups under ATI2020.

For the past decade (using ATI v9 to v14) I have successfully used a system of monthly 'Full' partition backups independent of any 'version chain'. I have managed the backup files manually so that recent monthly full backups are kept on my NAS and each six monthly backup file is copied onto a separate NAS (which is later also pruned). 

I committed to ATI 2020 towards end of last year and recreated my backup plan for independent monthly backups which worked perfectly until I wanted to recover some data.

1. Trying to recover data via the 'Recovery' tab on ATI dashboard is unsuccessful and a message displays "No data to recover yet. Create your first backup version to see its content here". There are six 'Full' backup files.

2. Trying to recover data directly from a Full backup file will work only if the complete set of 'Full' backups is present in the backup folder. I can not recover data from an independently copied tibx file EVEN THOUGH there is no inter-dependence between the Full backup files as they are not part of any version chain.

My Question: Is there any way to copy an intermediate full backup to another NAS in ATI 2020 and for it to be usable data for recovery? (It has been possible in the past and this new restriction does seem a shortcoming of functionality in the latest version.)

I won't complicate my question with much more information except to say that ATI recovery via USB boot from an independently copied 'Full Backup' tibx file does not work either. Incidentally, I do a daily backup on a monthly rolling basis and have been able to recover data via the 'Recovery' tab on the ATI dashboard.

Many thanks to the contributors to this forum.

Rob (2)

Postscript 14 May
Have now been able to remedy point 1 above (where my backup set history was not being properly reported or managed).
I deleted the offending backup set (settings only) and then added it back as an existing backup set (specifying the first backup file in the set). I now see the activity timeline, version information on the Recovery Tab and have the options to validate or clean up the backup set.

Applied this successfully to different backup sets and on different laptops. No idea why there was a problem in  the first place.

However, I still believe that Full backups should be capable of independent recovery

Rob, welcome to these public User Forums.

See forum topic: Full Backups no independent entity where this has been discussed in some depth.