Deleting Old Incremental Backups - SyncBackSE

[rko31415]

I'm a somewhat naive computer user, so be gentle in your responses...

I make a full hd backup 1x per month (using acronis images)
I would like to make incremental backups in-between these full backups (using SyncBackSE) ... and I only want to keep the latest versions of any files that have been modified since the date of the full backup

1) I only want to back up files that have been modified - deleted since the full backup
2) I don't want to back up incremental files that have already been backed up (i.e., i don't want to delete all incremental backups and then perform a 'full incremental' again)
3) I do want last month's incremental backups to be automatically deleted (at least eventually)

Right now I do a fast backup ignoring files that have not been modified within the last 1 month ... but my question is how to delete those older incremental backups?

Any help is appreciated ...

[Dave Wilkins]

but my question is how to delete those older incremental backups?

Manually - or with a script/batch file. There's no inbuilt functionality to do that. Only if you are using a regime whereby the same locations are re-used repeatedly c/o a cycling variable such as %DAYOFWEEK% and that obviously doesn't delete anything (it just re-uses it, to avoid an infinite series)

[Dave Wilkins]

Having said that, I guess you could use %DAYOFMONTH% in your Destination string, to avoid the issue (re-use the same locations). Think about (and beware of) issues introduced by vagaries of the calendar, though. Nothing we can do about those, sorry

[rko31415]

%dayof...% variables don't seem to do the trick ... I'm trying to avoid backing up files that have already been incrementally backed up ... so if file A was backed up yesterday and hasn't changed i don't want to back it up again.

1) I don't have a lot of space available at my hosting site, and
2) I have a few files (outlook.pst) that daily require quite some time to back up ... not leaving time during my backup window for full incremental backups

K

[Dave Wilkins]

Hi

Sorry, I'm lost here. You already said you were using Fast Backup to create Incremental backups (which in our software involves using Fast Backup in conjunction with a Variable to create a dynamic set of locations (usually 'cycling). So I assumed you were using a Variable that didn't cycle, and suggested using one that did. Either way it should only be copying changed files, unless/until you Force Rescan or change the profile scope sufficiently so that it it self-Forces one.

Now you seem to be suggesting that using a Variable would mean re-copying yesterday's files again, which makes no sense to me, sorry.

It may help if you sign up for ticketed support and submit a Support Zip with a copy profile so I can see your settings.

Signup details

http://www.2brightsparks.com/help/index.php?action=user

There's an article that explains the support ticket sign-up process at:

http://www.2brightsparks.com/help/index ... article=15

Please note that the forum and the ticket area are separate systems and currently require separate registration for each system. You can re-use the same credentials (if also 'vacant' on the 2nd system you register with) but you still need to register again/separately.

Generating & Sending Debug Information

http://www.2brightsparks.com/help/index ... rticle=144

http://www.2brightsparks.com/help/index ... rticle=143


Re your bullet-points 1 & 2, we can't solve space or timing issues for you, sorry. But a true Incremental backup (which I'm not 100% sure you are using - please see above link for a defintition) will only store one copy of every captured change. How many changes you capture and how large the files are is up to you...

Bear in mind we are not manned 24/7, and I'm logging off now till GMT tomorrow sometime

[rko31415]

Yes indeed you are right. I had to sleep on that one to fully understand what was happening. The variable approach would work.

However, it also occurred to me that your first answer was the best = manual. I only run full backups once-a-month, so it's no big deal to include a complete wipe of all the incremental backups from the prior month. For some reason I was selectively going through and deleting individual folders which was tedious. Now I see the error of my ways.

Please consider this discussion resolved, and thanks for your time.

K