File Backup (new backup format)
The file backup is the most common type of backups and is designed to ensure that your sensitive and important information is regularly backed up and not vulnerable to hardware malfunctions or ransomware attacks. This backup type allows you to back up selected files from your computer to any backup destination (local or cloud storage). The file backup is the best for backing up important project files, source code, personal documents, photos etc. The new backup format introduces the following features for Linux based environments:
- Client-Side Deduplication
- Consistency Checks
- Restore on Restore Points
- Optimized operations with storage, resulting in fewer requests, faster synchronization, and faster purge
- Continued data upload in case of network issues
- Object size up to 256TB to any storage destination
- Optimized performance and storage usage for a large number of small files
- Improved incremental backup performance.
File backups are configured via backup wizard. To start it, click Backup in the horizontal menu bar or press CMD+B.
- Cloud Storage
- Plan Name
- Backup Source
- Advanced Filter
- Compression and Encryption
- Backup Consistency Check
- Schedule
- Full Schedule
- Retention Policy
- Pre / Post Actions
- Notification
Backup Plan: Cloud Storage
Select the backup storage or create a new one.
- To add the new backup destination, click +.
To learn more about backup destinations, read the Add Backup Storage chapter
To delete the existing cloud storage account, click the - icon, then confirm the deletion in the dialog box
To edit the cloud storage account settings, click the gear icon
- When ready, click Continue.
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Plan Name
Specify the backup plan name. Choose a name that will help you to figure out the backup dataset, e.g. "Jones accounting files backup". This simplifies the plan search among the large number of plans.
To delete the existing cloud storage account, click the - icon, then confirm the deletion in the dialog box
In the new backup format, the backup plan configuration is always backed up and kept on storage
Click Continue.
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Backup Source
Select files and directories to back up.
Specify files and folders to be included in the backup plan.
| Check Box Appearance | Description |
|---|---|
 |
This folder with all subitems excluded. All new content will NOT be added |
 |
This folder with all subitems included. All new content will be added |
 |
Specific items excluded. New content be added, except for updates for excluded items |
 |
Only selected items included. New content will be NOT be added, except for updates of included items |
To display hidden files and directories, select the Show hidden files and folders check box
You can configure how Backup for Linux handles symlinks. This can be done in settings
When you finished selecting files and directories to back up, click Continue.
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Advanced Filter
Advanced file filtering allows you to configure file and directory settings that are to be backed up or skipped in the backup plan.
- To back up all files in directories selected on the previous wizard step, select Back up all files in selected folders option
- To specify the file types to be backed up, select Back up files of these types option, then specify the file type extensions in the entry field to the right, separating them with semicolons
- To exclude the file types from the backup plan, select Do not back up files of these types option, then specify the file type extensions in the entry field to the right, separating them with semicolons
- To back up empty directories, select Backup empty folders check box
-
- To backup system and hidden files clear Do not back up files used by other processes at the moment of the backup plan run check box
- To exclude specific directories from the backup plan, select Skip folders check box, then specify the folders to be excluded in the entry field to the right, separating them with semicolons
You can use masks to specify files or directories in entry fields. Use * wildcards for masking, i.e.:
- *abcd
- My*
- *My*
Note that masks in wildcards are case-sensitive
With default settings, Backup for Linux backs up all files in specified folders
When you configured filtering files and directories, click Continue.
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Compression and Encryption
Configure compression and encryption. Backup for Linux supports up to 256-bit military grade encryption by default.
Note that Backup does not store the key anywhere for security purposes. Forgotten password means no access to data. Keep the encryption password in a safe place
This step may look different depending on storage destination: there are some specific settings for diferent storage providers. For example, if you're backing up data to Amazon S3, the range of available options includes:
- Server-Side Encryption. With this option enabled, multi-factor encryption provided by Amazon is applied to backup data
- Storage Class. Select the S3 storage class to back up data straight to the required data tier. All S3 storage classes are supported
- S3 Transfer Acceleration. Use this option to accelerate file transfer. Note that the target bucket must have this feature enabled on the Amazon side. Additionally, this feature is offered by Amazon for extra fee
When you configured compression and encryption settings, click Continue.
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Backup Consistency Check
Configure full consistency check.
Full consistency check implements all previous backup plan generation checks except the current generation which is mandatory checked by the regular consistency check. If a full consistency check is successfully completed, a user can be sure that backed up data is guaranteed to restore.
Read more about the full consistency check in the Full Consistency Check chapter
When you configured the full consistency check, click Continue.
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Schedule
Schedule the backup plan execution.
On this step the schedule for incremental backups is configured. The full backup schedule is configured on the next step
- No schedule. The backup plan will not be executed unless started manually.
- Specific date. The backup plan will only be executed once, on the specified date. This option is used in special cases and not recommended for basic backup purposes
- Recurring. The most flexible option. Schedule the backup plan to be executed daily, weekly, or monthly
When you configured the incremental backup schedule, click Continue.
It is recommended to schedule full backup at least once every 3 months for selected schedule
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Full Schedule
Schedule full backups. Full backup are recommended to schedule along with the incremental ones since retention policy (mechanism of purging old backup data) is never applied to a current generation.
You can also set the maximum duration period for the backup plan. To do that, select the Stop plan if it runs for checkbox and specify the maximum period.
When you configured the full backup schedule, click Continue.
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Retention Policy
Configure the retention policy for the backup plan.
In the new backup format, the renetion policy is significantly simplier than in the current backup format. The retention approach in the new backup format implies that data is always purged by generations (sequence of a full and following incremental backups).
- To keep all backup data, select the Do not purge (Keep backup forever) option
- To apply the retention policy for previous generations, select the Keep backuop for option, then specify the keeping period
When you configured the retention policy, click Continue.
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Pre/Post Actions
This wizard step is available only in Ultimate edition
Specify pre- and post backup actions.
- To specify the pre-backup action, select Pre-backup action check box, then specify the path to the pre-backup script.
Note: the path to the script must be enclosed in quotation marks.
* Select **Exit backup plan if pre-backup action failed** option if you do not want the backup plan to launched if the pre-backup action fails.
* Select **Continue backup plan if pre-backup action failed** option if you want the backup plan to launched regardless of the pre-backup action result.
- To specify the post-backup action, select Post-backup action check box, then specify the path to the post-backup script.
Note: the path to the script must be enclosed in quotation marks.
* Select **Execute action only if backup has been successfully completed** option if you want the post-action to be launched only after the successful backup plan termination.
* Select **Execute action regardless of the backup result** option if you want the post-action to be launched regardless of the backup plan termination results.
- Once you specified pre- and post-backup settings, click Continue.
Notification
Specify the email notifications setting on backup plan results. If the plan completes or fails, you will receive an email that contains the information regarding the plan status.
Specify your email, user name, and email subject. The email subject can contain the following macros:
- %COMPUTER_NAME%
- %RESULT%
- %PLAN_NAME%
For example, you could enter the following subject:
Backup Plan: %PLAN_NAME% executed with status: %RESULT%
Click Continue, review the backup plan settings on the Summary step, then finish the backup plan.
Review your changes on Summary page. You can select Go Back in case of you want to change something. To start the plan immediately select Run plan now checkbox. Click Done to finish the wizard.
Run Backup Plan
To run the backup plan, click Start on the main toolbar. In the meantime, you can observe the backup process in the progress bar at the bottom of the plan view.