What is syntax for Automated Incremental Backups?

[TAC109]

On Sun, 5 May 2013 04:14:20 PDT, DrTeeth wrote:

>Two things stopping me using incrementals:-
>
>1) The inability to tell the difference between diffs and incs from
>the file names or in the GUI
>
Are you still banging on about this?

Just add something to the new file name in the GUI to differentiate.

>2) Ages ago, when I asked about incrementals, TBU was SO 'anti-', I
>was gob smacked when they appeared.

I suspect 'marketing'!

[DrTeeth]

On Sun, 5 May 2013 17:48:22 PDT, just as I was about to take a herb,
Tom Cole disturbed my reverie and
wrote:

>Are you still banging on about this?

Apparently, yes, I am .

>Just add something to the new file name in the GUI to differentiate.

Whilst I could, I would like the program to do it automatically. Seems
a tad strange for it not to do so. What about the situation of
somebody who did NOT manually change the filenames who now wishes to,
for some reason, differentiate between backup types? Yer godda think
these things through - LOL.
--

Cheers,

DrT

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

[Brian K]

TAC109 wrote:

> Your new times make more sense.
>
> You appear to be taking both incr & diff images on the same
> partition(s). Are you conducting a test of the incremental method?

Tom,

Nothing very scientific I'm afraid. From memory I used a 3 week old differential which had been created with the help of a hash. Creation time was 2.5 minutes.

I created an incremental from this diff and created a hash. I created another incremental from this incremental. This file was 1 MB and took 2 minutes to create.

Simply, I prefer differentials as I don't see much time saving with incrementals, I have stacks of backup space and I don't like the idea of a large chain of incrementals.

[TAC109]

On Mon, 6 May 2013 08:33:05 PDT, DrTeeth wrote:

>On Sun, 5 May 2013 17:48:22 PDT, just as I was about to take a herb,
>Tom Cole wrote
>
>>Just add something to the new file name in the GUI to differentiate.
>
>Whilst I could, I would like the program to do it automatically. Seems
>a tad strange for it not to do so. What about the situation of
>somebody who did NOT manually change the filenames who now wishes to,
>for some reason, differentiate between backup types? Yer godda think
>these things through - LOL.

You mean a muddled person who, for some reason, in the same backup
cycle, is flipping between diff and incr backups on successive runs?

Most people will plan ahead, and having decided to use either incrs or
diffs, will stick with it.

As to your assertion that IFW could tell the difference between diffs
and incs and adjust the file names, what about the case of the first
inc/diff taken after a full? IFW would have no way of knowing the
user's intentions without some additional input.

As you say, you've got to think these things through.

Cheers

[monkeyteeth]

If you are using IFW, then you have access to the /savename switch. That may solve part of your problem? That's both a question and a suggestion.

[TAC109]

On Mon, 6 May 2013 13:38:58 PDT, Brian K wrote:

>Tom,
>
>Nothing very scientific I'm afraid. From memory I used a 3 week old differential which had been created with the help of a hash. Creation time was 2.5 minutes.
>
>I created an incremental from this diff and created a hash. I created another incremental from this incremental. This file was 1 MB and took 2 minutes to create.
>
>Simply, I prefer differentials as I don't see much time saving with incrementals, I have stacks of backup space and I don't like the idea of a large chain of incrementals.
>
Thanks

I'm going to experiment by backing up one of my computers using
incrementals. As I only back up once a week it will take quite a while
to build up a large chain. I can then restore it to a spare disk as a
test, and somehow compare them. (I haven't quite figured that part out
yet!)

[DrTeeth]

On Mon, 6 May 2013 15:21:06 PDT, just as I was about to take a herb,
Tom Cole disturbed my reverie and
wrote:

>As you say, you've got to think these things through.

Touché mon ami, VBG.
--

Cheers,

DrT

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.