It's Not backing Up Everything

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i_am_jim
Posts: 57
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2010 5:22 pm

Post by i_am_jim »

I set FBackup to backup my entire Users folders & subfolders. There are six folder directly under the main Users folder -- it backups only four. There are 17 folders under my user name -- it backups only five. I just now discovered this when I went to my backup to recover an entire folder of pictures and the folder isn't there.
What's wrong.


Adrian (Softland)
Posts: 1993
Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 7:57 am

Post by Adrian (Softland) »

Hi,
Please send us:

- the .fkc catalog file for that job. You can find the .fkc file if you go to View->Open folder->Destination folder.

- the .log file for the last backup job. To find it, please go to: View->Job Logs->Last Backup Log.

Put the files into a zip archive and send them to info[at]fbackup[dot]com

Do you know you can monitor your backups remotely with Backup4all Monitor? You can read more here: https://www.backup4all.com/backup4all-monitor.html

i_am_jim
Posts: 57
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2010 5:22 pm

Post by i_am_jim »

After exploring the .fkc catalog file I see it is an extensive inventory of the files on my computer. I'm not comfortable sending you a list of all my files. Many of these files have explicit file names that contain data belonging to others. Is there any way I can send you something less, something more structural, that would allow you to assess what's happening?


Adrian (Softland)
Posts: 1993
Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 7:57 am

Post by Adrian (Softland) »

Hi,
There are no other files containing FBackup job information we need. File names are not important for us.
Please create a similar folder structure with file names not such important. Create a new backup job to back up that folder structure. Send us the requested files for the new backup job.

Do you know you can monitor your backups remotely with Backup4all Monitor? You can read more here: https://www.backup4all.com/backup4all-monitor.html

Adrian (Softland)
Posts: 1993
Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 7:57 am

Post by Adrian (Softland) »

Hi,
In the backup catalog you sent us there were two Mirror backup executions. Please note the Mirror backup type will copy only new and modified files since the last backup execution.

It seems the backup went fine as it backed up only new and modified files, but also it seems the previous backup files were deleted from destination.

Please note FBackup will not compare the source files with the existing files in destination but it compares them with the information stored in backup catalog.

Do you know you can monitor your backups remotely with Backup4all Monitor? You can read more here: https://www.backup4all.com/backup4all-monitor.html

i_am_jim
Posts: 57
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2010 5:22 pm

Post by i_am_jim »

Do I understand that if a file is in the catalog but missing from the backup set it will never be replaced?
For example, I swap out backup disks. I have two backup disks. One is in a bank and the other attached to the machine making backups. When I swap the disks, all files added since the last time it was in the system are missing from it's copy of the backup. If I understand what you're saying, none of these files will ever get backed up, because the catalog is happy. Is that right?
There's a law of nature that if there are two independent lists which are supposed to be of the same, they will, over time, drift apart. This is sometimes referred to Murphey's law. Unforeseen things will happen that cause the two presumably identical sets of data to be different. Why have the "catalog?" Why not simply compare the system with the backup and make them alike? Then these problems created by a independent list of files could not happen.
Do you have a "Regenerate Catalog" function that inventories the Backup and creates a new, accurate catalog? If not, it's unclear how one would ever make the catalog accurately reflect the contents of the backup. When I swap out my drives, missing files will be in the catalog but not in the backup and if I were to delete the catalog and redo the backup there will be files in the backup that were deleted, but the catalog has no way to know that, so they will remain in the backup forever.
Perhaps I have misunderstood your method. If so, please help me understand.


Adrian (Softland)
Posts: 1993
Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 7:57 am

Post by Adrian (Softland) »

Hi,
FBackup will not look in destination to compare those files with the source files but it will compare the source files with the information stored in backup catalog. That is much faster than comparing each file from destination.
You cannot regenerate the catalog from the existing files in destination.

FBackup does store the catalog in two locations: in the local catalog folder and also in destination.

For the backup rotation scheme you need to use only the catalog in destination. This way, each drive will have its own catalog. This feature is not a basic one and it is available only in our commercial product Backup4all.

Do you know you can monitor your backups remotely with Backup4all Monitor? You can read more here: https://www.backup4all.com/backup4all-monitor.html

i_am_jim
Posts: 57
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2010 5:22 pm

Post by i_am_jim »

>For the backup rotation scheme you need to use only the catalog in destination.
There are two catalogs, one on the source drive and one on the target drive. How do I know which one it will use?
>This feature is not a basic one and it is available only in our commercial product
Which feature are you referring to?


Adrian (Softland)
Posts: 1993
Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 7:57 am

Post by Adrian (Softland) »

Hi,
I ment the feature to disable the usage of local catalog.

Do you know you can monitor your backups remotely with Backup4all Monitor? You can read more here: https://www.backup4all.com/backup4all-monitor.html

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