Before starting Macro Editor, take some minutes to define your backup parameters. Following points are important for a backup plan:
Which periods (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quartal, semester, yearly backup) should be defined?
The more periods you define, the more storage space (tapes, disks) you need for your backups. The advantage is that it is more probable to recover previously deleted files and old versions of files. At least one period must be defined. It is advisable to define daily backup for regular backups with one or a few days interval.
It is possible to start with one or two periods (e.g. daily and monthly backup), and add other periods later when needed.
The periods SQL Server incremental backup and Exchange Server incremental backup are special periods for purely incremental backup of databases
Please note that only one macro should be created for the backup of your files and directories. This macro then contains all the periods. The system of differential and full-backups does not work if one macro is used for daily backups and another one for weekly backups. Several macros might be used to backup different data, but not for the same directories or databases.
Rotation scheme: Where are the backups stored?
Backups are stored on tapes, removable disks and fixed disks. Every period can be stored on different media. For example, store daily backups on fixed disks, which are fast and need no media-handling; store monthly backups on tapes, which can be kept in a fire-proof safe for maximum security, and are also cheaper than fixed disks.
The new backups always overwrite the old ones. Otherwise, storage would quickly be filled, and regular backup impossible. On the other hand it is dangerous to overwrite the latest backup by the new one. If the PC crashes during backup, there is no more backup around: The actual backup was overwritten and the new one is not finished. Therefore there is a rotation of 2-12 backups, until the first backup is overwritten. For backups to fixed disks, minimum rotation can be set to 1. In this case, backups are not overwritten, but the previous backup is deleted, when new backup completes. If your PC crashes during backup, last backup will still be available, even if you set rotation to 1.
For backups on tapes and removable disks, Stratesave follows the GFS (Grandfather Father Son)-strategy. Multiple backups can be stored on a single tape or disk, but only for the same period. There will be a set of at least two tapes for every period, to avoid loss of data. The last backup in the rotation plan must be stored on a different tape than the first one. The reason for this restriction is that backups on tape always overwrite the backup already stored there, and all backups further behind on tape. For backups on fixed disks, the backups of a period can all be made on the same disk. Even backups of several periods or several PCs can go to same disk. For security-reason, it is advisable not to store all backups at the same location. If the critical disk gets defective, all the backups will be lost.
For example, it is decided to store weekly and monthly backups on tape. The rotation is 4 for weekly backups and 12 for monthly backups, as all weekly backups should be kept for one month and all monthly backups for one year. If the backup tape has enough space for 4 full backups, this backup plan requires 2 tapes for weekly backups (at least 2 tapes are required for every period) and 3 tapes for monthly backups (12 backups / 4 backups per tape = 3 tapes). The total number of tapes required will be 2 + 3 = 5.
If there is a lot of backup data, one tape may be not enough for a full backup. Certainly this depends on the storage capacity of the tapes used. Stratesave allows one backup to extend over several tapes or removable disks. In the dialogs where a volume name is required, you can always enter a set with several tape- or disknames. If a tape or removable disk is filled during backup, backup will continue on the next in set.
The tapes and removable disks must be named and initialized before use. The name of a tape consists of maximum 6 capital letters or digits. This conforms to ANSI tape-standard. The name of a removable disk has up to 12 letters or digits.
Directories and databases to backup
Local directories or remote network directories (\\Server\...) can be selected for backup, as well as local and remote databases (System State, Exchange Server 5.5, Exchange Server 2000/2003 (ESE98), SQL Server, VSS databases).
The directories and databases can be selected for every period seperately. A backup with a longer period automatically includes all directories in a shorter period. For example, in a weekly backup, the directories defined for daily backup are also included.
Network directories on remote computers are preferably selected through their Administrative shares (\\Server\C$, \\Server\D$\.. etc.). Don't select other system defined shares for backup. Also don't select virtual drive defined by Exchange server 2000 (usually M:). This virtual drive is built by Exchange server automatically and does not need to be backed up.
The System State consists of certain defined directories and databases, which should be backed up and restored together. Stratesave has no single selection for the system state, but the elements can be selected individually for backup/restore. System state directories can be backed up differentially if desired.
A full backup of a computer typically includes all administrative shares if remote (\\Computer\C$, \\Computer\D$ etc.), all disk drives if local (C:, D:, etc. but not the virtual drive M: from Exchange Server 2000), System State, SQL server database (if installed), Exchange Server 5.5 or 2000 (ESE98) database (if installed).
In the backup plan, directories currently non-existing on PC can be specified by name. This is useful for a network manager, who creates the macros for all the PCs on the net.
All files in a directory are backed up, also hidden files (files, which are normaly not shown in Windows Explorer or with MSDOS DIR-command). System swap-files and other temporary files are automatically excluded. For Windows 2003/2000/XP, the files and directories defined in registry under 'FilesNotToBackup' are also automatically excluded. Current version of Stratesave has no selection of single files for backup.
Time plan
For automatic start of backups, a time plan is required. Basically, for each period, weekdays must be defined when backup should run, and time window. For higher periods (monthly or longer), also day of the month and months can be specified. This allows you for example to run a weekly backup every Friday at 18:00, except the 1. Friday of the month, when a monthly backup is done. Monday to Thursday daily differential backups are run.
The backup program figures out the period to be backed up next, according to the settings.
The time plan of Stratesave can be overruled, if necessary. For instance, when time plan signals that a weekly backup should be made, a daily backup can be executed anyway.
Differential backup?
For every backup there is the choice between differential and non-differential backup. Differential backups contain only the files, that have been created or been changed since last backup of higher period. For example, a differential daily backup does not include files that were already saved in a previous weekly backup.
Differential backups save backup time and storage space. The disadvantage is a reduced safety. The weekly backup, on which the daily backup bases, might become defective.
Databases which support differential backups (SQL Server, Exchange Server) are backed up either differentially (only changes) or fully in a differential backup. Databases which support only full backups (e.g. System State databases) are backed up fully in a differential backup.
Purely incremental backups can be defined for SQL Server and Exchange Server.
Encrypted backup?
Stratesave can store backups encrypted, to improve security. Often backups contain secret data, and the backup tapes can easily be stolen. Encrypted backups make it very hard or impossible for someone to retrieve the data, after he/she got hand on the backups. Stratesave uses public/private-key encryption. The private key, which you define, is required for restore. The backups will be done with a corresponding public key, which can be stored in a file or in registry. If someone gains temporary access to your PC where Stratesave is making backups, he / she can possibly read the public key, which is not enough for the restore.
Automatic checks after backup?
Optionally, an automatic check can be appended to the backup. This check rereads the backup. The check is part of the backup, backup counts as executed only if check detects no errors. You can choose between checksum control or comparison between files in backup and on PC. The backup check with checksum detects errors in backup with almost 100 % security, because the modern 32-bit CRC-checksum is used.
Other informations
·Directory where log is stored. The log is an important signpost for the restore program. If the log is lost, you can still restore the backed up files, by specifying directory, tape o removable disk where the backup is stored, as explained in the restore program's help section.
·Tape device for backups on tape, and removable disk device for backups on removable disks. You can specify a list of devices. For backup or restore, the first free device in list will be taken.
·Optionally, the mount of tapes or removable disks can be made by an operator or automatic media changer. Stratesave Standard supports backups to SCSI tape autoloaders. Stratesave Client-Controlled NetSave to Unix server has a programming interface to media changers.
·Handling of locked files. A file is locked, when a program reserves it for exclusive use. This file can not be read by backup program and therefore cannot be backed up. Many files stay reserved only a short time. For example, a text file is reserved during save-operation of text. Stratesave optionally waits a certain time, until the file is unlocked. If the file remains locked, it will either be skipped, or backup will terminate with an error message.
·Optionally, the file list will be copied to logdirectory, in addition to the default storage on backup media. This option is only available for backups to tape/removable disk. It is comfortable during restore, because tape/removable disk is not needed to just view list of backed up files or select files for restore. The disadvantage is the required disk space in log directory.