These settings can be specified for each backup period
General
Store backup in compressed format specifies, whether the files will be compressed, before they are backed up. Compressed backups are usually smaller than uncompressed backups. The compression factor depends on the backed up files, and normally values about 50%. As a disadvantage, compressed backups are not stored in portable TAR-format. You can choose between Faster compression and Stronger compression. Faster compression is the default, and normally delivers same or even better speed than uncompressed. With faster compression, backup speed is normally determined by computers I/O performance. Stronger compression delivers backup speed and compression ratio similar to zip programs. With stronger compression, backup speed is normally determined by computers CPU performance. If you are using a very fast tape drive, like DLT, faster compression (or tape drives hardware compression) is usually better than stronger compression, to keep the tape streaming, and achieve much better performance.
Store backups encrypted specifies, whether the files will be stored encrypted in the backup. This is useful, if an unauthorized person gains access to the backup media. They will not be able to retrieve the backed up data without knowing the encryption key. See also: Encrypted backups
If Store file list in log directory is set, file list will be stored in a separate file in log directory. This option is available for backups to tape and removable disk, so you will not have to mount tape/removable disk to view list of backed up files or select files for restore.
If Don't store backup if no files to backup is set, no backup will be written if there are no files or databases to backup. For the backup rotation this means that the oldest backup in rotation scheme will not be overwritten if there are no files to backup. If this option is specified, all files and directories to backup are scanned, before the tape/disk is mounted and the backup output file is created. If the option is not set, these operations are made in parallel, to save backup time.
Open File Backup / VSS
This is for using the Volume Snapshot Feature on Windows 2003/XP. It allows to backup files which are in use. If Revert to non-VSS backup if Snapshot failes is specified, a normal backup will be done if Snapshot cannot be created. If this option is not enabled, backup will halt on error if the Snapshot creation fails. To create and maintain the volume snapshot enough free disk space must be available. A Snapshot will always be done if a VSS-database is selected for backup.
Retry on recoverable errors (VSS Timeout) defines Stratesave's action if VSS reports a retryable error during snapshot creation. Snapshot must be created in short time-frame and sometimes it will time out, while next snapshot may work fine. The default settings are waiting 10 minutes between retries, and retry 5 times. If all 5 attemps to create the snapshot fail, backup will halt on error. Retry even on errors reported nonretryable by writer can be set for a writer which reports non-retryable (=fatal) error, when you find that still on some attemps snapshot works, so error is still "retryable". It can be difficult for a writer to find out if cause for failure is retryable or not, so this flag forces retries.
Unreadable directories / databases
Section At unreadable directories... defines Stratesave's action when a directory from macro can not be read or is non-existent. Either directory will be left out or backup will be stopped with error-message.
Section At unreadable databases... defines Stratesave's action when a SQL- or Exchange Server database from macro can not be read or is non-existent. Either database will be left out or backup will be stopped with error-message. System state databases (Active Directory, COM+, Certificate Authority) are not checked with this option, but with above option At unreadable directories....
Reserved files
At reserved files... describes what happens when a file to be backed up is locked and therefore unreadable. The file will be left out or backup will be stopped with error message. Retry time shows the time in seconds that Stratesave tries to read the files. Files are often locked only for a short time, e.g. during file storing. Skip during file compare is designed for locked files during backup check with file comparing (see below). If this option is not set, a locked file will be regarded as different from the same file in backup.
Automatic check after backup
This Section Automatic check after backup... is designed for automatic rereads of backups after backup execution. The backups are either checked by checksum or compared with files on PC. If backup check detects an error, the preceding backup counts as invalid and is not entered in log. Check box Allow compare errors if file times differ means that differences in backup and on PC will not make a backup invalid, if the corresponding file-date and -time also differ. The error detected will be listed anyway. This is useful, when a file is modified after it was backed up and before it is checked.
Since the backup check with the modern 32 bits CRC checksum detects storage errors with almost 100% security, it should be sufficient in most cases. It is also faster than the "classical" file compare. For encrypted backups, file-compare requires private key, checksumcontrol not. For multi-volume backups, where backup extends over several tapes or removable disks (CD/DVD), checksum control of each volume's data is done immediately after the volume is filled, while file compare is done separately after the backup. This leads to fewer tape- or disk-mounts with checksum control.
SQL / Exchange
Make full backup of SQL Server even if Differential backup forces the SQL server full backup even if the period is defined as differential backup. Normal file backups continue to be differential for this period. This counts only if the SQL Server is not selected under VSS\MSDEWriter. Under VSS it will always be a full backup.
Make full backup of Exchange Server even if Differential backup forces the full backup for Exchange Server 2000/5.5 and Exchange Server 2003 if selected under ESE98. If Exchange Server is selected under VSS, it will always be full backup anyway.
Pre-Backup command
Section Pre-Backup command defines a command to be run before the backup. This can be used to dump a running database to file, which will then be backed up. Optionally you can also specify that the executed command must return 0 or backup will halt on error.
It is best to specify full path names for all files and directories within the command.
If you use piping, specify cmd /c command, e.g.
cmd /c c:\mysql\bin\mysqldump --opt datatbase > c:\mysqlbackupdir\filename.sql
Alternatively, you can use a .bat command file, and run one or more commands from there.
Security / Network
In Section Network backups, option Don't prompt for passwords of netshares specifies that backup should halt on error if it needs a password for network access from user, instead of asking for the password. This can be useful for unattended backups where you don't expect to be prompted for the network password.
Section Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 security: Use backup privilege if available specifies, whether backup privilege will be used to access the files. With backup privilege, which is usually held by Administrator account, all files can be backed up. This includes those, whose access rights are missing. If Skip files with permission error is set, files will be skipped if the access right is not available, otherwise backup will terminate with error message. Differential, backup securities of all files applies to differential backups only. If this option is set, securities of all files will be backed up in differential backup, even for files unchanged since last full backup and therefore not backed up. This option may need significant backup time, but guarantees that security settings are always backed up in differential backups. This can be useful if only security settings of files are changed.
OK or Cancel quit folder dialog, OK confirms and Cancel ignores all changes. When another period is selected or a new macro is loaded, the backup parameters will be reset.
See also: Encrypted backups