Automatic Clean Up Setup For Incremental & Differential?
Hi,
I can never get the "automatic cleanup" to work properly with ATI so I always end up manually deleting a full version and then creating a new full-backup. I want to have this on auto-pilot, can someone please tell me how I need to set this up so it finally works properly?
Incremental:
Currently I have it set up to "create full version after 5 incremental versions", and I would like to use this in addition to one of the following options:
"Delete version chains older than ? days" or "Store no more than ? recent version chains"
Which option above can I use to have this be set so it runs automatically and I don't have to keep on checking it? And what number should I put in this way it works properly with my first setting of creating a full backup after 5 incremental versions?
Differential:
If I were using differential I have the same setting selected for "create full version after 5 differential versions", but what setting on the automatic cleanup do I have to set so this works by itself automatically and I don't have to worry about my USB external hard drive running out of space?
Thank you!
Check signature link #2 below and specifically look at illustrations 11-Inc and 11-Dif. Read all the text details regarding these two types which accompany the illustrations.
Either of these two should work--or at least they do for me all the time. I find that keeping x number of recent version chains works more consistently than a setting based on elapsed days. One key to success is to create the task and then do not make any further configuration changes. In other words, do not use the edit Settings option. Changes to scheduler can be done from within the main task without using the edit settings option.
Change the 6 and 4 examples to fit your needs.
Here is one example of inc and if the settings were dif, it would have the same structure--inc would read as dif
Ok, thank you for the replies I'll try setting up this way to see if it works finally.
One question, for "Incremental" doesn't the full back up need all the incremental versions to be able to perform a recovery successfully? If I'm deleting 2 of the oldest incremental versions won't the recovery not work?
I'm guessing this backup scheme would work better with "Differential" because all I need the latest differential backup and the full backup; right?
Thank you!
FYI:
A task for Incremental or Differential will always begin with a full backup. That is necessary, as that becomes the baseline.
For an Incremental task, after the first full backup, subsequent backups will be incremental, each one based on changes since the previous Incremental backup, all the way back to the second backup being incremental based on changes since the full backup. As such, you need all links in the chain, all incremental backups right back to and including the first full backup, in order to Restore.
For a Differential task, after the first full backup, subsequent backups will be differential, each one based on changes since the first full backup. To restore, you would need just any Differential and the Full backup on which it is based.
You should not allow an incremental chain to become too long. An incremental restore depends upon every incremental in the chain being valid, including the original full. It's better to limit each chain to just a few incrementals, followed by a fresh full backup to start a new chain.
You should validate backups periodically. That would alert you much if the full backup were missing or unreadable.