Rules-Selecting Users folder without Movies and Music

[CallMeDave]

I can't believe I've got to set a path name in order to get this to work

 

I don't understand; Retrospect has always used paths and names in constructing Filters/Rules.

 

Now I've for a long time wanted to have Retrospect be able to exclude a Favorite Folder (aka Defined Subfolder) from a Backup without having to scan its contents first, but without that capability paths/names/labels, etc are all we have.

 

Lo and behold, there they were

[color:purple]snip[/color]

I can't afford to not have this data backed up

 

Here's my confusion; is it a problem with more data backed up then you expect or less?

 

 

Dave

[pkeenan]

Here's my confusion; is it a problem with more data backed up then you expect or less?

 

 

Dave

 

Dave,

 

Before I took the plunge in restoring the test data I had just backed up, I "Previewed" to see what had been backed up. What I saw was that the "Applications" folder did not have the full applications within it. I thought my "Rule" had worked which was to exclude the contents of the Applications folder from being backed up. So to answer your question, yes more data was backed up than what I called for in my "Rule". Same thing goes for the Music, Sites, Downloads, Movies, Pictures,...folders

 

What say ye?

 

Peter

 

[CallMeDave]

I say "I have no idea what you did wrong in constructing your Rule, since you did not provide the exact syntax or a screen shot, and that you caused confusion when you conflated extraneous data with omitted data."

 

I know it sounds cynical, but having worked tech support my number one rule is always "users lie," with my number two rule being "users inadvertently provide incomplete or inaccurate information." So without specific, incontrovertible evidence and/or information I always lean towards User Error.

 

Let's see the syntax of the Rule being used; perhaps it really is a(nother) Retrospect bug.

 

Dave

[pkeenan]

Dave,

 

I'm at the casa today so I can't give you a screen shot. Plus I took that server off-line on Friday so I wouldn't have access to it anyway using ARD. From memory though I believe the in the "Exclusions" area I have it saying "Folder is Applications". I also used "Folder contains Applications"

This is after all what the video tutorial says to do.

[Maser]

I'm pretty sure there's still a current bug with "Previewing" a backup using the Backup Wizard.

 

What you should try is actually backing up with your rule and check the resultant backup -- I'll be that works properly.

[pkeenan]

I guess I can't include a screen shot with this post but the long and short of it reads.

 

Exclude files based on the following rules:

'All" of the following are true

"Folder" "Name" "is" Applications

"Folder" "Name" "contains" Applications

"Folder" "Name" "is" iTunes Music

"Folder" "Name" "contains" iTunes Music

 

etc, etc, etc.

 

These rules still copy all the data within these folders and when I choose to preview the "restore" it shows that the contents of the various folders are not copied.

 

Your comments are always welcome.

 

Running Retrospect 8.1 (build 626)

Computer: Mac Mini 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

4GB 1067 MHz DDR3

System 10.6.2

 

[rhwalker]

I guess I can't include a screen shot with this post

Robin Mayoff needs to work his magic. Details here:

 

Forum Attachment Rules Change

 

Russ

[rhwalker]

I guess I can't include a screen shot with this post but the long and short of it reads.

 

Exclude files based on the following rules:

'All" of the following are true

"Folder" "Name" "is" Applications

"Folder" "Name" "contains" Applications

"Folder" "Name" "is" iTunes Music

"Folder" "Name" "contains" iTunes Music

Peter,

 

This is why a screen shot would be so very helpful. "Long and Short of it" may not match what your post transcribes.

 

However, if your exclude rule is truly as you have given it here, the program seems to be doing what you are asking because there is no way that the Folder name "is Applications" and Folder name "is iTunes Music" can be met, and you have required that "All conditions" must be met. Both conditions are non-overlapping. If the folder name is Applications then the folder name cannot be iTunes Music. The Exclude condition will never be satisfied, so nothing will be excluded.

 

We need a screen shot.

 

Russ

 

[Maser]

Right -- your rule should say "Any" of the following is true -- not "All".

 

And, again, if it *does* say "any" -- did you try a backup with the rules? "Preview" within the Backup Wizard seems to be broken in this build.

 

And I use:

 

Folder Name is iTunes Music

 

in my scripted backups as an exclude rule and it *does* skip that folder.

 

But not if I run a Backup Wizard and "Preview" using that rule...

 

[pkeenan]

Gentlemen, To Russ's point, yes a screenshot is in order. I've notified the proper authorities for inclusion for that honor.

 

On another note. I neglected to add the fact that at the very heading of the "Exclusions" rules the first selection includes the word "Any". I basically reworked the "All Files Except Cache Files" rule.

 

So do you still think that's the issue?

[pkeenan]

Well, the Retrospect God's have looked down upon me and smiled.

 

I am enclosing some screen shots from my "Rules" setup.

 

Attached, please find:

-Rules screenshot

-Preview screenshot

-Restore screenshot

 

Peter

 

Thoughts are always welcomed.

[Maser]

When you say "All" of the following are true, then that means *ALL* of the subsequent rules must be true (as was said above...)

 

No files on your machine will match the rule you wrote under the "And" listing.

 

You need to change that to "ANY"

[Maser]

And, rather than rework the "cache files" rule, I might suggest you make the rule to include the stock cache file rule and then exclude additional custom rules.

 

Just on the off-chance that EMC ever updates the stock rule in a software update...

 

I'm attaching a screen shot of a modified version of one of my rules that works properly when I run a script using it (but does -- again -- not work when running the Backup Wizard and "Previewing" using the script -- which is a bug.)

 

 

[pkeenan]

Mr. Maser,

 

Thank you kindly for the screenshot. I will give this the old Community College try and get back to you on my findings.

 

[pkeenan]

Fella's,

 

Would loved to have given you the good news today but I keep getting that stinking -519 error. My clients keep getting disconnected from the network. I will try again this evening. Very frustrating.