1st differential backup stored in full backup file

Jeff, welcome to these public User Forums.

This is a code issue with the current build version of ATI 2021 #35860 (and earlier builds too!).

I reported this to Acronis in support case [04691528] Differential backup behaviour changed by ATI 2021 #34340 build. [ ref:_00D30Zcb._5001T1RYAn9:ref ]

The following is the reply I received for the above case:

Thank you for your email. My name is Supreeth a Supervisor with Acronis Customer Central 

This is an update regarding case 04691528 where you had reported issues with Differential backup behaviour changed by ATI 2021

Upon your concern, we had reported the issue to the next level for further investigation, got an update that it is an known issue with the current version .

We also notified this to our Development team and they are working on a fix for the issue. Since we do not have a specific ETA about the release of a solution, I would suggest that we close this case for now.

However, please be assured that we would not consider the issue as ‘Resolved’.

The issue would be fixed in future builds of the product and hence I kindly request you to use the in-product notification option.

I have also challenged the fact that Acronis have not documented this 'known issue' in the release notes for any of the current builds of ATI 2021 and received the further reply below:

I was checking with the details from the internal team so would be able to share an update in terms of the reported issues, I completely agree with you that the details should be publicly shared with the Customer's so they are also aware of the noticed issues ( in other words the known  issues) which we will notify to the internal team so such details are clearly updated when sharing with Customers.

The said issue reported issue is a known issue TI-218808 and is supposed to be getting fixed in the next release for which the date is not tentative for the release.

I can only suggest that you too raise this either by submitting Feedback or opening a new support case and reference:

Known issue TI-218808 first Differential backup slice consolidated with Full backup as if was an Incremental backup slice, further differential slices are in separate backup files.

From the replies I have received so far any fix may not be received until ATI 2022 !!!

Thank you Steve for your response as it's good to know that Acronis is aware of the problem but the bad news that it may not get fixed until ATI 2022. The puzzling part is that I have 2 nearly identical laptops which I updated to ATI 2021 on the same day and one has the problem and the other one doesn't. I hadn't thought of it but it does make sense that the first differential backup is being treated as an incremental backup. I will follow up by sending Acronis feedback that I too have this problem. Thanks again

Regards

Jeff Waxler

Are you certain that Automatic clean up rules are not in play here?  Is it possible that an automatic cleanup was applied to the task on schedule causing the behavior?

Bob, definitely nothing to do with automatic cleanup rules here.  This was reported by another user originally and I was able to replicate it easily on multiple PC's.

I don't normally ever use differential backups so hadn't found this myself.  Acronis have acknowledged it as a code issue with:

Known issue TI-218808 first Differential backup slice consolidated with Full backup as if was an Incremental backup slice, further differential slices are in separate backup files.

Steve,

Well I ask because I do use differential methods and have been doing so since the intro of TI 2020 and I have not seen this behavior.  I suppose it may have gone unnoticed so I will do some checking.

Was your replication with a new task?

Bob, yes, new tasks for the recreation as I only normally use incremental tasks.

See the original user topic: First Incremental Backup File after Full Backup is merged into previous Full Backup File - which documented a lot of the research done on this issue.

Thanks Steve

So i did some checking on my machines and what I find is no evidence of this happening on any of my differential backup tasks which total 6.  These task have all been configured long ago before any of the updates to TI 2021 and they are not effected by this issue.

So it must have been introduced recently.

Bob, did you try creating a simple new differential task of such as a Survival Kit 2GB partition or even of a USB stick?

Steve,

No I did not try any of those.  It seems redundant as so far as reported any new differential tasks exhibit the behavior.