Problems with Backup Profiles
Scenario:
I have 3 external hard drives:
W: Daily 1 Backup - Initial Full Backup with Diffs after that
Y: Daily 2 Backup - Initial Full Backup with Diffs after that
Z: Monthly Backup - Full Monthly Backups
Been having an ongoing problem with backups lately. For example, it started with the Daily 1 backup trying to do Differential backups - it would say that the backups succeeded but then it would give me an error that it could not locate the Y: Daily 2 Backup - which is a completely seperate backup profile.
I did some research and found that it looked like my Archive.xml file became corrupt. I deleted the Archive.xml file and allowed Acronis to re-create the file. I deleted all backup profiles, and started over fresh. Daily 1 and the Daily 2 backup are now working correctly. But upon doing my first initial backup for the Monthly, it gave me a similiar error saying that it could not locate Daily 1 backups.
It appears as though the Archives.xml file is again the issue. Any ideas on why this keeps happening? Could it be a permissions? Thoughts?
Chris,
As your log file indicates, consolidation could be a problem. It adds time and complexity. My preference is and it works for me is to have the program do automatic file deletion of the oldest backups--much like the actions of an escalator--the new arrives and the old drops off.
Note the examples shown in figures 11-full and figure 11-df illustrated in the link below.
Set up new tasks pointing to new empty storage folders and avoid all edits. Create the task correctly the first time.
http://forum.acronis.com/forum/28705
I found much better success in using the keep x number of "recent backup chains" to work much much better than using the options based on elapsed days or space consumption. Adjust the examples of 6 and 4 to meet your needs but the examples do work successfully for me.
If you are not using MudCrab's Drive Notify as part of your backup strategy, I suggest that you seriously consider.
Drive Notify (when properly configured) will remind you to attach the correct external disk due to be used for the backup and the backups will not proceed until the correct disk attached. Note link inside my signature below. There is both a free and purchased version.
Hello Grover - actually that thread is one that I used to create my new tasks here and it did help considerably. But as mentioned above, Daily 1 and Daily 2 succeeded normally using the instructions in the thread you suggested but I got that error when trying to do the Monthly backup. That log file that I attached is what I got after using the methods in the thread you posted. Just for clarification - I am also using the "Keep x number" of recent backup chains and am not using the days or space consumption.
What I don't understand is why when trying running a task, it gives me errors that it can't find information from another task. They should be completely separate and not dependent on each other in order to operate successfully. Unless I am missing something here.
There is a lot of info in the log file which makes no sense. There should be no reference to other backups.
When the tasks were last created, were task created fresh from the beginning or were part copied of cloned from prior tasks? Or stated another way, were these tasks ever used before their current usage? I have found similar issues when the tasks were cloned or copied and not created fresh from the very beginning.
What I am suggesting is that the task be totally fresh and see if you get the same results. target folder should not contain any backup files but those put there by the one specific task.
My suggestion are merely a method of suggesting what will work for most users.
Your examples are similar but the retention options differ so my suggested options do differ from your examples.
Your example=W: Daily 1 Backup - Initial Full Backup with Diffs after that
Your example=Y: Daily 2 Backup - Initial Full Backup with Diffs after that
My example has a new full after a few Diff and keeping a specific number of chains.
Yours is one full with a lot of diff and the diff being merged.
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your example=Z: Monthly Backup - Full Monthly Backups
Not sure what other options are included.
Mine keeps x number of ongoing backups on a revolving basis with the oldest being deleted as replaced by a new one.
These tasks were created brand new and not cloned or copied. No other tasks were created when creating these new tasks. I too agree that the log files are very confusing. It makes no sense why it is saying that it can't find Daily 1 when the Monthly Backup task is running.
The tasks were setup as follows:
W: Daily 1 Backup - Initial Full Backup with Diffs after that (Creating a new full backup every 10 days and only keeping 7 versions of Diffs and deleting initial full backup)
Y: Daily 2 Backup - set us as same way as Daily 1
Z: Monthly Backup - Full backup but only keeping 1 version of the full backup and deleting the initial full backup.
Thank you Chris. Just to make sure I am understanding correctly, would you confirm:
Your custom diff backup scheme reads identical to mine below except
a. The 6 changed to 10 so a new full is created after 10 runs of diff.
b. The 4 changed to 7 so 7 recent backup chains (complete chains of 1 full + 10 diff multiplied 7 times=70 backup files retained.
Does your backup scheme match mine except for the 10 and 7 changes?
Figure 11-Dif: -Example of custom/differential backup method settings
In your example of the your custom full backup scheme, the 4 has been changed to --otherwise identical?
Figure 11-Full: Example of custom/full backup method settings
Allow space in each scheme for 1 more full than your selected number as TI will NOT delete the oldest full until its replacement has been created.
If your schemes are set as mine, then I would conclude as you did that the problem is the archive.xnl file.
Delete again and start over with new custom backup schemes.
Edited: My recommendation is to also assign a different folder to each task with no intermxing of backup fules.
Thanks Grover for your help here. Yes, our setup is exactly like yours except for the "numbers". This would be the second time in a week of deleting the archive.xml file and starting over new. I'm just trying to figure out why the xml file keeps getting corrupt here. I think I'm going to manually look at the archive file and see if I can see anything out of the ordinary. My suspicion is since everything was working fine until I created the third task (called Monthly) - that somehow that corrupted the archive.xml file - but unsure. Thanks again for your help here.
I think if it were me, I would uninstall TI. Run the cleanup and re-install fresh creating all new images and making sure each task has its own folder.
While your at it, if you have not checked your disk for errors, now would be a good time to do so to make sure the source is as pure as possible. I have no explanation for your problems reoccurring so quick.
I don't know whether you are a believer in registry cleanups but I do this on a occasional basis. If you plan on uninstalling/cleanup/reinstall, I would run a registry cleaner after running the Acronis cleanup utility It goes without saying to be sure and have a good backup before you run any type of cleanup. If you still have your system restore working, I would make a new checkpoint before running either the cleanup or the registry cleaner.