Incremental backup with multiple external drives
I have two external drives which I use for backups. I keep one drive off site, and swap them frequently. Will an incremental backup keep track of which drive is installed, or do I need to do a total backup? I'm using True Image Home 2011.
Pat L,
I have exactly the same need as Joe Christian. I also came to the same conclusion as you that I need two different drives with different drive letters, and then it should work. But in my case, it didn't. ATHI confused backup files from the two tasks and stored them unpredicably on either drive as long as both were connected.
I correctly defined the two separate tasks and scheduled them differently: one on daily basis and one on monthly basis, with the intention to keep the drive with the monthly differentials off-site. Actually, in order to differentiate between the files from the two separate incremental backup tasks, I included the target drive letter into the file name. It still happened that ATIH wrote the differentials to the wrong drive. Even more strange, after a period of not using the computer, both scheduled tasks were due when I started the computer next time. Then, only one differential was written to one of the target drives. But the new differential file showed up in both tasks. I.e. when I use "open location" in the corresponding two tasks, they both direct to the same file.
I concluded that ATIH is unable to handle two separate differential or incremental tasks for the same original partition, but different target destinations (backup drives or partitions). I know a similar behavior from a backup product that I used before, and it seems the reason is in the way how the information about file changes are stored in the databases. That other product explicitly offers the feature of "off-site copy", but then you can only specify a full backup and no incremental or differential backup. It even alerts you that you can only specify one incremental taks for the same original partition. I assume that similar restrictions apply to ATIH.
For the time being, I have no better option than to define the second monthly backups as a full version, rather than a differential one.
Note that the option of "Backup reserve copy" offered by ATHI does not solve the problem either, since this is always a full version, and it runs every time the original task is executed.
I will check further whether I find a better solution. If so, I will report.
Note that all tasks are defined as "Disk and partition backup", with schedule, custom backup scheme, password protected and encrypted.
Ulrich
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System info: Win 7 Ultimate x64, Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 rev.2, intel core i7 X980, 24 GB RAM, ASUS EAH6950, 6 x 1TB HD (of which 2 x 2 in RAID 0)
Another option is to use the assistance of "Drive Notify" written and offered by MVP MudCrab. The link is in 2nd line of my signature below.
What Drive Notify does is
It runs from the pre/post backup option and when the scheduled time for a backup arrives, Drive Notify will pop up a notification window for you to attach a specific storage disk. It will check to make sure the correct disk is attached and when confirmed, will exit and allow the backup to be created. If the wrong external is attached, the Drive Notify program will continue to wait until proper disk is attached or the backup is cancelled. Backup cannot proceed until the Drive Notify has exited--either by correct disk selection or task cancellation.
I have used the multiple tasks to different drives and have not had any issues with the wrong backup being written to the wrong drive. The drive letters I use is similar to these examples
X640
V750
Y500
U-eSata
V-eSata
Ulrich,
The erratic behavior you are seeing is symptomatic of a database issue. If I found myself in your situation, I would uninstall ATI, reboot and reinstall, then create fresh new tasks.
I experienced your problem when I had the same set up as you describe, but in the same directory: 2 different tasks, same content, one weekly, one monthly. ATI would get confused. But pointing each task to a different directory solved the issue neatly. So, pointing each task to a different disk should solve it. Since then, I gave up on the parallel backups and simply runs the same task with incremental backups, with a longer retention period. Since having 2 tasks duplicates some backups anyway, I end up in a good place with regards to backup space optimization.
Grover, Pat,
Thanks a lot for your swift answers and support.
I will try them most likely starting with a fresh installation of ATI 2012 (it is already a very recent installation). I installed over ATI 2011, so that the databases should have been kept. But perhaps this is also what confused them.
My reasons for using a second backup are actually quite simple. First, I want to be protected and have a backup (maximum one month old) even in case of fire or water, and if my machine gets completely destroyed. I.e. I don't want to keep the second backup in the same location, but in another one. Second, it is adding further safety. In case of a hard disk crash in the machine, I am normally left with the backup only. So, if during the backup anything goes wrong with the backup drive (either a crash, corruption of the file system, or - perhaps even more likely, a wrong manipulation) and I lose the backup, I still have another one. I know that this might sound far-fetched. But I have already experienced situations when the backup did not work, but the second backup did...
So, I will most likely continue my strategy with one daily on-site backup and one monthly off-site backup.
I keep you posted about the success and my experiences.
I would certainly agree that a redundant backup policy is worthwhile. Maybe consider a backup every two week or twice monthly for the off-site option. The mid monthly could be a differential backup and would be smaller--something to consider.
Yes, backup diversification (type, location) is good. Doesn't sound far fetched at all. I use different backup technologies on top of this.