Starting a new DVD for backup

[mleiser]

I have a backup setup to run every night and it runs beautifully. It backs up to a DVD. I have two questions:

1. When I exit Restrospect it kindly mentions that it will be doing an unattended backup to my DVD in the evening and tells me how much remaining space I have on the DVD. Now that it's reaching the end, is there a simple way for me to put in a new DVD into the drive and have backup run at night without asking me any questions about the new DVD?

2. I started these backups with an immediate backup and then followed by changed files every night. Is it recommended to do another full backup after a while (start a new backup set)? If so, how do I get it to use the same exact setup of which files I want to back up so that I don't have to start from scratch.

Mike

[Mayoff]

You can configure the Preferences to Automatically Skip to blank media, which will allow you to insert an erased disk before leaving Reto. at night.

 

If you do an immediate backup and change options from normal to recycle, it will use the rest of the same settings you used with the last immediate backup.

[mleiser]

Do I then keep using Backup A (the name of my current backup) or create a new one?

[mleiser]

Another question. I looked up the recycle backup and I'm a little confused with the explanation given. With recycle backup will I lose my last backup? How about if I explain what I want:

I want multiple backups. For each backup I want a full backup and then incrementals. At some point I want to start over with a full and then incremental. Each backup should be on a new set of media (I use DVD's). After 3 of those I'll reuse my first backup for the 4th set.

 

Another issue is about taking home a backup set. I would love to have one set in school and the other home (of the same backup). Do I just copy DVD to DVD each time I want to take a second copy home or is there an easier way?

 

Sorry about all these questions but my old backup system was easier to set up, though I found that Retrospect is incredibly better. I just had an emergency and I had to restore a file. It worked great. Any help would be appreciated.

Mike

[Cbarnhorst]

A 'recycle' means to reuse the old media. You would write over Backup Set A and its catalog file.

 

Use the 'duplicate' command to make a second set. Duplicate simply copies the backup set from one set to a second set without 'backing up' the hard drive a second time. It is a copy function. You can append to a duplicate set.

[mleiser]

Now I'm getting really confused.

First, what does the duplicate function duplicate? I'm confused about these catalogs, etc. I have now a number of DVD's that comprise my Backup A set that I've been using since the beginning. Does the duplicate function duplicate all my DVD's as a second identical set. I do need an identical set at home every so often for protection. Any better ideas please let me know.

As far as starting over again with a new backup set, I don't want to wipe anything out. I want to keep my Backup A DVD's for a while but start a new, say, Backup B set that will start with the same selections I had on Backup A, do a full copy, followed by incrementals of new and changed files. I want to do this without creating the backup files I need from scratch and I don't want to erase anything. Is that possible?

Another question. Does the backup program care which CD is in the drive for the backup. For example, can I have a set of three DVD's. On Monday I let the incremental backup write to DVD 1, on Tuesday DVD 2, on Wed DVD 3 and then on Thu add it to DVD 1 and go round robin like that. Can that be done? Then I can always take home "last nights" backup and insert the next DVD for "tonights" backup. Am I making any sense?

Again, this program is great, but confusing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mike