Custom Scheme does not work properly
I would like to kindly ask for your help because ATI2014 (windows 8.1) is driving me insane as i cannot find out why it is not working properly.
I have created a custom back up scheme with the following details:
1. To be backed up -> my entire C: partition
2. When: Daily and every 1 hour
3. Backup method:
a. Incremental
b. Create a full version every 24 incremental versions (i.e. - 1 day)
c. Delete version chains older then two days
4. Verify backup every: last Sunday of every month
First of all if I understood correctly a version chain is the full backup plus the number of incremental backups defined in the scheme up until the next full backup, in my case 24.
BTW i have seached for a descrption/definition of what a version chain is and could not find it.
If my understanding is correct in the above scenario the chain is 1+24 hourly incremental backups
The point of the scheme is to create a 2-days hour-by-hour backup which will be constantly refreshed/kept up to date. Given the two days limit I was expecting to always have two active sets ((1+24)+(1+24)…..(1+24))
a) Set 1: Full back + 24 incremental hourly backups for lets say Monday
b) Set 2: Full back + 24 incremental hourly backups for lets say Tuesday
c) Then when set 3 will be completed (Wednesday) Set 1 will be deleted.
At the moment I have a full backup created on 18/5. From then on 51 incremental backups have been created (on 19/5, 20/5, & 21/5).
Currently I have no second full backup, which should have been file no 25 in the sequence of files created and no files are being deleted (the total number of files should not exceed 50, 2 full backups + 48 incremental hourly backups).
What have I set wrong why is the scheme not working properly.
Thanks in advance … sorry for the long post.
As to normal operation of the program,
As each chain is 25 backups (daily) and you want to keep 2 days.
We know that the program will not delete old files until a replacement has been first created.
I believe the program (after creating the full backup of chain 3, then looks at the last file in the oldest chain (chain 1 at this time) and if that specific chain ending file (#25)is older then 2 days (a full 48 hours) , the deletion of chain 1 will then occur.
If #25 is not 48 hours old, it will keep checking after each new backup until the deletion occurs.
Any edit/changes to the original task after is has been used can cause the program to not act as expected. The log file usully keeps track if the task was edited.
Frankly, I avoid the used of elapsed days or disk size limits and set my schemes based on an actual number of backups. In the example below, if your were to set your inc to 24 (as currently) and then set the "store no more than X (x=2) recent chains, the program would regular delete the oldest chains and keep 2 chains on a revolving basis.
I would encourage you to keep more than 2 chains as well as have other chains stored elsewhere. Often times, the need to restore is not realized until after the passage of considerable time and keep as many backups as you can and always make sure to keep at least one current full disk image backups of your entire disk.
You may find my signature link 2-A of interest.