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Lost trying to create a backup that overwrites the one created 2 backups before (1, then 2, then 3 overwrites 1).

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I have tried to solve this many ways, and so far, none have worked.

 

I have an external 6TB drive that is my backup drive. I want backup specific folders to it (1 backup, every 2 weeks, and have week 3 backup, overwrite week 1). So at any given time, I only have 2 backups (which are about 2TB. What I keep getting is a full backup, then incrementals until the drive is full. Then of course, an error, and backups stop. I used to do this at my old job with a tape drive for our servers. But that was a very old version of Acronis, and many years ago. The new interface completely different, so I am at a loss on how to do that again. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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Don

  • Is it correct that a full backup is being run is being run once a week.
  • Is it correct that at any one time you want to have two full backups.
  • Please confirm the size of the backup task - is the size of each backup 2TB, or is that the size of the two backups (1TB + 1TB).

Normally I would  create the Files and Folders backup, which I would run every day with a full backup on day one and incremental backups on days two to seven. But here it looks like you will be only doing full backups. You can set cleanup setting so that no more than two full backup are retained (see p 58 of the ATI 2019 user guide for information on automatic cleanup rules), however, the first backup will not be deleted until the third backup has been completed, and if the backup is 2TB then there may not be sufficient space. This can lead to all sorts of difficulties.

Ian

Don, the simplest & easiest option to use & understand is to ‘Store no more than X recent versions / version chains.’  The criteria here means that if you set X = 2, then when the X+1 (3rd) version / version chain is created successfully with a new Full backup file, then the oldest version / version chain will be deleted by automatic cleanup.

Example:

Incremental backup task, using Full plus 5 Incremental backups before next new Full backup.

Task scheduled to run daily with automatic cleanup set to ‘Store no more than 2 version chains.’

Day 1 – Full backup created.

Days 2 – 6 Incremental backups created.

Day 7 – Next new Full backup created. 

Days 8 – 12 Incremental backups created.

Day 13 – Next new Full backup created.  Automatic cleanup deletes files created on days 1 – 6.

I understand what you both are doing.

This was what I 'was' trying to do:
------------

Day 1 – Full backup created.

Days 2 – 6 Incremental backups created.

Day 7 – Next new Full backup created. 

Days 8 – 12 Incremental backups created.

Day 13 – Next new Full backup created.  Automatic cleanup deletes files created on days 1 – 6.

And I wasn't aware of the cleanup on page 58. Thanks to both of you. now I can get back some sense of relief.

 

Fyi, my full backup was a little over 1TB, and I don't feel, from the incrementals I was seeing, that 2 backups and the incrementals would come close to filling my 6TB drive up.

I will set this up and let both of you know how well I did, (I.E. how well I followed your instructions, lol).

Thank you!