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GFS-scheme possible?

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Hey there,
in most cases I use Acronis Backup advanced 12.5 in my professional usecases.

On my private machines I now have TI2019 ans I´m wondering if it is possible to have something like a GFS-scheme that I can configure individually.

My final goal is:
- one monthly full backup that is stored infinitely (until I delete the backups manually if I decide if I need them longer or not)
- weekly differential backups that are stored for 8 weeks
- daily incremental backups tht are stored for the 8 days

Any way to do this or do I need a ABA12.5 license ?

 

Regards

Sven

 

 

 

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It is (well) past my bed time, and it has been a hard day, so the brain is not working very well. Through the haze that is impersonating my thought process I think it is possible to get the outcome you want by creating 3 different backup tasks.

  • task 1: full backup scheduled for once a month with no clean-up rules (you have to disable the max number of backup versions).
  • task 2: I do not use differential backups, but setting the requirement to always keep first full backup, you are part way there. Not sure how the cleanup rules work for differential, but I think it is possible to specify to keep no more than 8 differential backups
  • task 3: the way incremental backup works is that the cleanup rules do not work until the first full backup is made after the incremental. I have a feeling that to get the best outcome with incremental that the task have 4 incremental, and cleanup rule is to keep no more than two full sets.

I think this may get what you want but the haze is getting worse and my sight is starting to blur. Well past my bed time (particularly as I was up unusually early today).

Ian

Hey Ian,
thanks for the answers.

This would end in 3 different backup chains right?
So the drawback of this method you described is, that I have in the diferential chain and the incemental chain one additional FullBackup.

Not very smart, but if this is the only way...okay.

I´m wondering why Acronis does not give me the option to have the very standard GFS scheme....
Hmm maybe THIS is the difference between TrueImage and Backup Advanced 12.5 ? ;-)

 

S.

Swen, see KB  60227: Difference between Acronis Backup 12.5 Standard, Acronis Backup 12.5 Advanced and Acronis True Image 2019 which may be of interest for this topic.

With regards to:

This would end in 3 different backup chains right?
So the drawback of this method you described is, that I have in the differential chain and the incremental chain one additional Full Backup.

Correct, the approach suggested by Ian would require 3 different backup chains to implement and each separate chain would require that a Full backup image is created but assuming that you are not putting all your backups on the same single drive, then this should make very little difference.

Please note that the Automatic cleanup feature for ATI 2019 (and all earlier versions) only works with complete version chains.  This will not remove individual differential files from a chain.  Any incremental chain requires all elements to be present to be viable for recovery.

Steve's point about complete backup chains is important, and I the mind haze may have resulted in my not making it clear.

Yes ATI is designed primarily for home users and those running small business from home. The other Acronis product is designed for a different market and has features that most home uses would not understand let alone want to use. That said, I find the backup scheme you are using to be potentially useful for one of my systems, so I may dig out my copy and give it a whirl.

Ian

Hey Steve,
Hey Ian,

As I´m using Acronis Backup Advanced 12.5 in the network of the ergotherapeutical practice of my wife (1 phy. Server, 4 virtual ones, >10  workstations) I can asolutely agree:
ABA has some features that are hard to understand ;-)

The mentioned GFS scheme is intended to backup data of my 3 NAS (QNAP) in  my home network for data that is often changed.
Other data is backupped in a simpler way.
So I´ll give the method you mentioned a try and plan B is to install one copy of ABA 12.5 in a VM on my master-NAS.

@Steve:
I intend to store all backups at the same location and therefore the additional fulls are a bit awkward..

 

Greets from Germany
S.