Backup schema problem

Userguide says:
> Use the alternative setting Clean up archive > When there is insufficient space while backing up (p. 55) if you accept the risk of losing the last backup.

In all other cleanup schemes the first, base full backup will be always kept if there is only one full backup.

So, if you have only incrementals scheduled weekly, it will never delete the base full backup. Even in case of "cleanup when no space left" it will not do it because

4.2.5.4: If there is only one full backup left, and an incremental or differential backup is in progress, an error occurs saying there is a lack of available space

So, IMHO, if you can afford the risk of losing the only backup, you can use the 'simplified naming' (userguide 4.3) and some script to delete the whole chain when there are five backups, and then it will start over with full ( but this has restrictions on where you can place the backups, like no managed vaults, etc). If you can't, you have to have two full backups at some point of time after the second one is created and before the first is deleted.

Thank you very much.

Is it also possible that I'm using the backup schema I'm actually do (self-defined schema with only incremental backups scheduled) and then use a script do delete after 5 weeks the hole content of the backup folder? Is this also possible with using depots in Acronis?

External scripts can't be recommended to manage acrhives produced by 'ABR10' naming as opposed to 'simplified' naming, because there is .meta folder (meta.xml file in ABR11) it can't handle. Well, you can drop the whole content of it, but the result is probably undefined, however it most likely will start from scratch. External cleanup scripts can't be used with managed centralized vaults (because they are not folders accessible by script), but they can be used with unmanaged vaults on shared folders, but then you have to take care of other's archives in this vault.

Thank you. So for running an external script I have to use simplified naming. But if I use simplified naming and I set for the backup name for example "Backup_Server", what will be the names of the following incremental backups? I want to have the date in the file name. With 'ABR11' naming it appends the date to the file name, I've read in the manual, but with simplified naming it does not.

What are managed centralizes vaults? Are this "depots"? I don't know if in the english version of ABR there are also the term "depots". By the way I'm storing the backups on a NAS.

Incrementals are with number appened to the name; Also see 4.3.2 "The [DATE] variable" section in the userguide for a date in the name. Managed centralized vault is "Zentrales Depot" that is managed by a Storage Node, if you did not create it using storage node, it's not this one.

Thank you. What's the benefit of a depot (not centralized)? I could instead using the direct path to the backup directory without using a depot.

I've done a backup over the night, it succeeded, but in the log there's a message that the snapshot was not taken. That's not a problem for me, because I don't want to use snapshots, but how can I deactivate it?

I have a third problem. One can choose that for incremental backups only the date of the files are compared or on the other side the whole file contents are compared. On the workstation I choose to compare only the date of the files. But what should I choose on the server? I think only compare the date of the files is probably a bit risky.

Unmanaged vaults (centralized and personal) are like shortcuts for Management Console, every operation you can do with them you can always perform specifying the exact storage path ( share or FTP) they refer to. Acrocmd command line supports all operation with unmanaged vault by specifying its path, not its name.
2) & 3) - do you perform a file backup? disk backup wouldn't run without snapshot - however the option "only the date of the files are compared" is valid only for disk backups.

I have three last questions, after that everything should be fine. For better structuring I have enumerated the questions.

1. Is "only the date of the files are compared" safe in the meaning of that data are not included? If ABR compare the content of the files I think it's safer than only comapre the date when the file was changed. On the workstations it's not so a big problem, but from the server there should be made a real safe backup.

2. I want a validation after every scheduled backup. How can I set this? In the backup task settings I did not find anything.

3. I looked at the log of the backup, which was made yesterday of a workstation. The task completed successfully, but there was 3 warnings. Because it's in german I appended a little translation. These 3 warnings appeared for the full backup (because no full backup existed the incremental backup task created one) and it also appeared for the incremental backup.

--------------------
Details
--------------------
Typ: Warnung
Datum und Zeit: 12.08.2011 22:33:37
Backup-Plan: [Keine]
Task: [Keine]
Code: 363(0x16B)
Modul: 0
Besitzer: ws06
Nachricht:
Das Backup-Archiv 'arl:/E2C615A2-FCD9-4A1E-B725-6166AFA011E8/2F6C472F-8DD5-48DD-BA43-A93DE71364E9/E88267A8-394A-48BD-995B-DC40984BCAFE/E3BB57AD-FA24-44DA-81B6-716D60FB3386' wird nicht katalogisiert, weil es kennwortgeschützt ist.
Zusätzliche Info:
--------------------
Fehlercode: 363
Module: 0
LineInfo: 3a01c4bd00877375
Felder:
Nachricht: Das Backup-Archiv 'arl:/E2C615A2-FCD9-4A1E-B725-6166AFA011E8/2F6C472F-8DD5-48DD-BA43-A93DE71364E9/E88267A8-394A-48BD-995B-DC40984BCAFE/E3BB57AD-FA24-44DA-81B6-716D60FB3386' wird nicht katalogisiert, weil es kennwortgeschützt ist.
--------------------
--------------------

The message says that the backup archiv will not be catalogued because it's password-protected. I think this warning is not a problem, isn't it?

--------------------
Details
--------------------
Typ: Warnung
Datum und Zeit: 12.08.2011 22:00:49
Backup-Plan: [Keine]
Task: [Keine]
Code: 4'195'008(0x4002C0)
Modul: 64
Besitzer: ws06
Nachricht:
Einholen der VSS-Metadaten für das Backup fehlgeschlagen.
Zusätzliche Info:
--------------------
Fehlercode: 704
Module: 64
LineInfo: 26556611c50a732a
Felder: $module : C:\Programme\Acronis\BackupAndRecovery\DiskBundle.dll
Nachricht: Einholen der VSS-Metadaten für das Backup fehlgeschlagen.
--------------------
Fehlercode: 65520
Module: 0
LineInfo: bd28fdbd64edb8bc
Felder: code : 2147942450
Nachricht: Die Anforderung wird nicht unterstützt
--------------------
--------------------

The message says that getting the VSS-metadata for the backup was not possible. What should I do?

--------------------
Details
--------------------
Typ: Warnung
Datum und Zeit: 12.08.2011 22:00:48
Backup-Plan: [Keine]
Task: [Keine]
Code: 1'098'823(0x10C447)
Modul: 16
Besitzer: ws06
Nachricht:
Erstellen des Volume-Snapshots fehlgeschlagen.
Zusätzliche Info:
--------------------
Fehlercode: 50247
Module: 16
LineInfo: 14181c22ef45b06d
Felder: $module : C:\Programme\Acronis\BackupAndRecovery\DiskBundle.dll
Nachricht: Erstellen des Volume-Snapshots fehlgeschlagen.
--------------------
Fehlercode: 65520
Module: 0
LineInfo: bd28fdbd64edb8bc
Felder: code : 2147942450
Nachricht: Die Anforderung wird nicht unterstützt
--------------------
--------------------

This message says that creating the volume snapshot fails. What to do?

1) It may be safer, but I guess it will have a huge performance impact - every incremental will take about as much time as full (it need to read back the backup from network, compare it and in most cases skip the file as unchanged). However application that doesn't modify saved file timestamp probably would ave problems with most existing backup tools. I guess that for most people default settings (with fast inrementals on) work ok.
2) under "Show 2nd location, validation, convert to virtual machine" collapsed section or you need to enter credentials to the share where archive is located to get access to scheduling and validation scheduling options.
3a) Yes , password protected archived can't be cataloged.
3b) from known issues in release notes - may be related
- After running a centralized backup plan on machines where Acronis VSS provider was not installed, the following warnings appear: “Failed to create the volume snapshot" and "Failed to get VSS metadata for backup”.
Solution: Select the “Microsoft VSS provider” option in the snapshot creation options of the centralized backup plan and run this backup plan with the administrator’s rights.
IIRC Acronis VSS is not installed on workstation OSes.

Thank you.

3a) Yes , password protected archived can't be cataloged.

So how can I disable that ABR try to cataloge? I don't want to get this warning everytime.

3b) from known issues in release notes - may be related
- After running a centralized backup plan on machines where Acronis VSS provider was not installed, the following warnings appear: “Failed to create the volume snapshot" and "Failed to get VSS metadata for backup”.
Solution: Select the “Microsoft VSS provider” option in the snapshot creation options of the centralized backup plan and run this backup plan with the administrator’s rights.
IIRC Acronis VSS is not installed on workstation OSes.

Ok VSS is probably not intalled. So this warnings are no problem and I can let it as it is or should I intall VSS? You said that snapshots are strongly required, but the backups runs ok and I see the backup file.

And where is the snapshot creation option?

It can be disabled in 'backup cataloging' section in backup options.

You said that snapshots are strongly required, but the backups runs ok and I see the backup file.

I thought you meant some sort of fatal error. So that my comment was irrelevant. Provider selection options are in 'backup options' too , under blue icon with 'VSS' (in English - Volume Shadow Copy Service, but the icon is the same). It can be set in main menu->options->default options too (default options are applied only to backup plans created after default options were changed)

So I should disable VSS?

And how can is solve the problem with the snaphots and is it worth to solve it?

Probably not disable, but "Select the “Microsoft VSS provider” as proposed in relnotes.

I think you mean the following? http://kb.acronis.com/content/22373

Solution: Select the “Microsoft VSS provider” option in the snapshot creation options of the centralized backup plan and run this backup plan with the administrator’s rights.

Where are the snapthost creation options?

Can you find them where they are described in that article? Is there anything missing?

To set Microsoft VSS usage for all(**) backup jobs, go to Options -> Default backup and recovery options -> Default backup options.
To set Microsoft VSS usage for a backup plan, create a new backup plan or open an existing backup plan for editing, then go to Plan parameters -> Backup options.
In Options window, go to Volume Shadow Copy Service section.

(**) - for all backup plans created after default options are changed here

I think it's ok, I try it.

What would be the disadvantage of not using snapshots?

It's not the choice of snapshot or no snapshots - with disk backup you have to use them. The choice is to use http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Copy or not. If it's a domain controller and/or has some databases running you need to use VSS ( e.g. article about DC case - http://kb.acronis.com/content/15827 )

So everything works ok, but I have another 2 problems.

1. I set the mail notification, see following Screenshot.

http://imageshack.us/g/52/unbenanntiik.jpg/

I get always mail notification also if the backup succeeded, but I don't mark this in the settings. Why is that? I only want mail notifiactions if there is a problem or if the backup don't succeeeded.

2. In the validation options I can choose between "last backup" and "whole archive". Which one I should choose? Actually I choose "last backup" because I think this is quicker and every other backup before is already validated.

2) - in a chain of fulls and differentials validating last backup will validate full and last differential, but not early differentials. The same if there are many fulls backups
>every other backup before is already validated.
It may get corrupted in any time later.

Thank you. Do you have any help to my mail notification problem?

In the notification mail there is always a message that the backup could not be catalogued because it's password protected, but the overall backup succeede. Perhaps it's sended as an error message or a backup failure message because of the not catalogued failure?

I think I get the clue. In the mail notification message there is alsways the following part

--------------------
Fehlercode: 363
Module: 0
LineInfo: 3a01c4bd00877375
Felder:
Nachricht: Das Backup-Archiv 'arl:/711380A4-96D5-4236-A7E8-35F13386D5CF/9CA298AC-F5B1-4DFE-BF90-BEA64F9596F8/FF0744F1-727B-4C4B-90D6-A20A9442A658/707C5F60-98AC-45FB-8EB7-4841729C30B3' wird nicht katalogisiert, weil es kennwortgeschützt ist.
--------------------

This is an error and therefore I get everytime the mail notification also if the backup succeeded. I have unchecked the catalogued function in the option menue. What can I do?

You can open a support ticket. Mention steps to reproduce - that you create a password-protected backup to a personal vault, uncheck 'catalog after backup' checkbox in options, uncheck the 'notify at success' box in e-mail notification, and nevertheless e-mail notification with the unexpected warning about inability to run catalog arrive. (Warning! It's not even "when backup fails" because it doesn't fail and has no error in logs)

Warning! It's not even "when backup fails" because it doesn't fail and has no error in logs

What do you mean with that? The backup did not fail, but there are an error in the log, the error of not catalogued.

Its severity is 'warning' with yellow triangle (and it is not supposed to be catalogued at all, because the option was turned off), so I consider it a warning, but I don't insist on it.
Quoted:

Details
--------------------
Typ: Warnung
Datum und Zeit: 12.08.2011 22:33:37

Kurt, I just found this thread by coincidence when looking for "acrocmd".

For protected archives, afaik the cataloging warning should be gone with build 17437 released in March.

If you could not solve the VSS metadata issue yet with http://kb.acronis.com/content/26550 you should open support case.
An additional possible reason is, that the service "Acronis VSS Provider" had been set to "Disabled" - it need to stay "Manual" and will be started and stopped on demand then automatically.