Not backing up

[clatus]

Hi,

 

 

 

We are using Retrospect 5.6 on Win 2000 sp3. We backup the same set of files every night (a database dump). However it has failed to recognise that there is anything to backup for the last two weeks. Even running an immediate backup says no files needing backup.

 

 

 

When you browse the selection in the Volumes section it clearly shows that the files have different modification dates and file size to the last snapshot. Matching is set to default in the script.

 

 

 

Why has it stopped?

 

 

 

Sean

[AmyJ]

Make sure you are not using a selector that is excluding files from being backed up. In almost every case I've seen, this happens when using an improperly created selector. Make sure you are using the All Files selector when setting up your backup.

 

 

 

If you need to use a selector to include/exclude files, keep in mind that selectors are tricky. You need to make sure that the selection criteria themselves are correct, and then you need to make sure they've been linked correctly.

 

 

 

A good rule of thumb is to make sure that unrelated criteria are linked by "or." For example, how do you select a folder whose name is "Applications" AND whose name is "System Folder?" It's impossible. But it makes much more sense to select a folder whose name is "Applications" OR whose name is "System Folder."

 

 

 

Another good thing to remember is to "check" your Selector. Do this by, in your Selector edit window, selecting "Check Selector" from the Selector menu. Choose a volume and Retrospect will apply your Selector to that volume in real-time. This will save you having to wait until a backup to see if it's been set up correctly.

 

 

 

You may also want to ensure that your "All Files" selector has not been modified (Special > Selectors). This selector should Include everything / Exclude nothing.