Skip to main content

overwriting previous backup when backing up several VMs?

Thread needs solution

I want to create a backup job that always overwrites the previous job before starting the backup. When backing up a single physical server I can accomplish this by choosing the option that says "Name backup files using the archive name, as in Acronis True Image Echo, rather than auto-generated names".

However, when creating a backup job that backs up multiple Hyper-V VMs that option is not available. I tried adding a retention policy saying when the archive is greater than 1GB to delete the oldest backup but it does not seem to work. The backup is a day old so I can't say to delete it if it's over a day old.

Is there any way to achieve what I want to do? It seems there needs to be retention policy rules based on hours (not days) and also an option that says if number of backups in the archive exceeds 0.

Thanks

0 Users found this helpful
frestogaslorastaswastavewroviwroclolacorashibushurutraciwrubrishabenichikucrijorejenufrilomuwrigaslowrikejawrachosleratiswurelaseriprouobrunoviswosuthitribrepakotritopislivadrauibretisetewrapenuwrapi
Posts: 22
Comments: 3800

Hi,

There is a protection logic implemented in the clean up procedure: you can specify retention rules to perform clean up when number of backups exceed 1 - in this case the following happens (if you define the clean up rules to be applied before AND after backup):

1) Upon 1st run the backup1.tib will be generated
2) Upon 2nd run the backup2.tib will be generated and in the end of the 2nd run the backup1.tib will be deleted. So at the moment when the backup runs you'll need to have free space sufficient to keep 2 full backups in the location, but in the end there will be only 1 backup left (space for 1 full is required)

This is done to protect user from ending up with no backups in case something goes wrong during backup, i.e. there is _always_ at least one valid backup present in the location which is not removed.

If the above scheme (I've attached a screen shot showing the settings for it) doesn't meet your needs then the only solution would be to run some script (via pre/post commands or Windows scheduler) before the backup task is about to start. This script should clean up the target backup location ("del" command). After that there will be no need to define any retention rules in the backup settings (each time there will be a new full backup generated).

Thank you.
--
Best regards,
Vasily
Acronis Virtualization Program Manager

Attachment Size
270525-119917.png 257.14 KB

I see. I suggest considering a change to this. Users should have ultimate control. For example in the case of rotating USB drives there is a previous backup stored elsewhere. Forcing a user to create a script could make things even worse if they are not careful.

Trying to protect users from themselves only creates unnecessary limits for those who know what they're doing.

frestogaslorastaswastavewroviwroclolacorashibushurutraciwrubrishabenichikucrijorejenufrilomuwrigaslowrikejawrachosleratiswurelaseriprouobrunoviswosuthitribrepakotritopislivadrauibretisetewrapenuwrapi
Posts: 22
Comments: 3800

Hi,

Yes, we do consider such cases and try to handle them separately (that is why there was simplified naming scheme added). We're planning to extend the number of use cases with rotating USB drives in the next version to make it as transparent as possible.

Edit: Acronis internal task ID for reference is ABR-60036

Thank you.
--
Best regards,
Vasily
Acronis Virtualization Program Manager