Backup Process Simulator

The MSP360 Backup Simulator is a tool designed to help you visualize and understand different backup strategies and retention policies. It allows you to simulate various backup scenarios and see how they affect your restore points over time.

To prepare simulation

Select your backup storage:

Select the backup storage type
If using AWS or Azure, select the appropriate storage access tier

Select the backup schedule:

Simple (Forever Forward)
Advanced
Advanced + GFS (Grandfather-Father-Son)

Configure Advanced Schedule Settings (if applicable):

Specify the backup frequency and additional options for the advanced schedule. By default, the incremental schedule for simulation purposes will be planned to run every day.

Set the retention period

Define how long the backup data should be retained

Specify the start date and the target date or simulation period:

Target Date: Enter the date for which you want to see the backup status based on the specified settings.
Simulation Period: Alternatively, enter a simulation period, and the target date will be automatically calculated.

To simulate backup process

Click Simulate now to generate the simulation results.

Use the scroll buttons below the graph to navigate through your backup timeline if it exceeds 40 days.
Hover over any bar in the graph to see detailed information about that specific backup point.
The Target Date field can be manually adjusted to see the state of backups at a specific date. Use the - 1 day, + 1 day and + 7 days buttons to adjust the date.
The Operation log provides a day-by-day breakdown of the backup process, allowing you to evaluate the progress and adjust settings if needed.
To clear the simulation, click Reset.

How to understand the result

The graph displays:

Bars representing each backup point.
Color-coded bars indicating the type of backup (full, incremental, synthetic full, etc.).
Week numbers and dates on the x-axis.
Backup type (Full or Incremental) on the y-axis.

Below the graph, you'll find summary statistics including:

Total simulation days
Current number of restore points
Full/Synthetic full backups count
Incremental backups count
Total purged backups

Additional statistics like maximum and minimum possible restore points are also provided.

This simulator is a tool to help visualize backup strategies. Always test your actual backup and restore processes in a non-production environment.

If you encounter any issues

Ensure all required fields are filled before running the simulation.
If the graph doesn't update, try clicking Simulate Now again.
Clear your browser cache if you experience persistent issues.

Terms

FFI (Forever Forward Incremental): A backup strategy where only changed data is backed up after the initial full backup.
GFS (Grandfather-Father-Son): A backup rotation scheme that defines retention for weekly, monthly, and yearly backups.
Synthetic Full Backup: A full backup created by combining previous backups without accessing the source data.
Retention Period: The duration for which backups are kept before being purged.
Restore Point: A point in time to which you can restore your data.