8.1 File backup
File backup does not require configuration instances.
Start creating a new file strategy from the left navigation bar [Plan] - [File Backup] - [+], and complete a backup plan in 5 steps.
Step one, select backup content.
Give the strategy a name, drop down and select the Client you want to backup. There are two ways to choose the backup content, one is to expand the list, and the other is to directly enter the path. Usually, we will select the expanded list and check it, for example, select backup C:\ backup software:
Excluding file paths is used to filter out several folders or files that are not needed after selecting a large range of paths. Please fill in the filtering content you need according to the page prompts. It is particularly important to pay attention here.
The filtering methods for folders and files are different.
Windows: filter excluding folders C:\ some\ need\ excluding\
Filter excluding files: C:\ some\ need\ excluding
Linux: filter excluding folders:/some/need/excluding/
Filter excluding files:/some/need/excluding
Only directories ending with "" or "/" will be recognized as directories by the system.
In the C drive of Windows system, there are some common system files and folders that are not recommended to be backed up through backup software, because these files are either temporary, locked during system operation, or may cause problems during recovery. Therefore, we need to filter them out in [Exclude File Path] (If you choose to backup the root directory of a certain drive letter, C can be replaced with any letter [A-Z], please modify according to your actual situation).
Here are some common examples:
**
C:\ Windows**folder :C:\ Windows\ System32\ config: Store the regedit file, the system runtime is locked.C:\ Windows\ Temp: Temporary file.C:\ Windows\ SoftwareDistribution: Windows Update File.C:\ Windows\ WinSxS: Cache for storing system files, not recommended for backup and recovery.
**
C:\ Program Files**and **C:\ Program Files (x86)**folders :Application folders are usually not recommended for backup because reinstalling applications is more reliable than restoring from backup.
Temporary and cached files in user directory :
C:\ Users\ < Username >\ AppData\ Local\ Temp: Temporary file.C:\ Users\ < Username >\ AppData\ Local\ Microsoft\ Windows\ INetCache: Browser cache.Please replace Username with your actual username.
Page files and hibernation files :
C:\ pagefile.sys: Page file.C:\ hiberfil.sys: hibernate file.
System Volume Information :
C:\ System Volume Information: Data for the System Restore Point and Volume Shadow Copy services.
Recycle Bin :
C:\ $Recycle. Bin: Files and folders deleted by the user.
In Linux systems, there are also some system files and directories that are not recommended for backup because they are temporary, can be locked while the system is running, or may cause problems during recovery. Here are some common examples:
Temporary files and directories :
/tmp: Store temporary files, which will be cleared after restarting.**
/var/tmp**Store temporary files, but they will not be cleared after restarting.
Virtual file system :
**
/proc**Virtual file system for kernel and process information.**
/sys**Virtual file system for device and kernel information.**
/dev**Virtual file system for device files.
System logs :
**
/var/log**Store system and application log files that can be regenerated.
Cache and lock files :
/var/cache: Cache file./var/lock: Lock the file.
System service files :
/run: Store runtime data, such as PID files.
Package Manager Cache :
**
/var/lib/apt/lists**and/var/cache/apt/archives(for Debian-based systems).**
/var/lib/dnfand/var/cache/dnf(for Fedora-based systems).
Swap files and swap partitions :
Swap partitions and
swapfiles: no backups are required as they can be recreated.
System-specific files :
**
/etc/mtab**Contains information about the currently mounted file system.**
/etc/fstab**Be careful when backing up, but may need to be adjusted when restoring.
Backup strategies should focus on user data, configuration files, and important application data, such as:
The user's home directory
/home.System and application configuration file
/etc.Database files (such as **
/var/lib/mysql**or/var/lib/postgresql).Data directory for specific applications.
If it is the latter two, be sure to ensure that the relevant application is in a stopped state when backing up. You can use scripts before and after to start and stop the application.
After configuring the exclusion path according to your own situation, click [Next] to enter.
Step two, select storage:
Please select in Chapter 5, Configure Storage pre-configured storage, click [Next] to enter:
Step three, set a time plan.
Refer to Chapter 6, Section 1, Automatic Trigger of Backup Plan to configure the trigger time of the plan. For file backup, you can choose only "full", "full + incremental" or "full + differential" three combinations, please choose according to your own needs.
Click [Next] to enter:
Step four, configure advanced plan.
Please refer to Chapter 6, Section 4, Advanced options for backup plans and Section 5, before and after scripts , for explanations.
In addition, special options for Windows file backup:
Enable VSS Volume Shadow Copy: Yes, Enable/No, Not Enable.
Tip
VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) is a feature in the Microsoft Windows operating system that allows snapshots of volumes to be created while the system is running. These snapshots can be used for backup, file recovery, and other operations. VSS is mainly used to create consistent snapshots, and Microsoft's SqlServer backup defaults to using VSS technology. However, in the practice of file backup, VSS is generally ineffective. In addition, VSS can also be affected by other storage management or security software. If you enable VSS for file backup but the backup fails, you may want to turn off VSS and try again.
Click [Submit] to save the backup plan.
You can then refer to Chapter 6, Section 2, Manual Trigger of Backup Plan to run the plan manually. You can also wait for the scheduled automatic trigger of the plan.