Setting default backup options

You can set up Backup Exec with the settings that you want to use for most backup operations, such as the backup method and compression type. If the default options are not appropriate for a particular backup job, you can override the default options when you set up a backup job.

To set default backup options

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options.

  2. On the Properties pane, under Job Defaults, click Backup.

  3. Select the appropriate options as follows:

    Backup method for files

    Select the default Backup method. Full - Back up files - Using archive bit (reset archive bit) is the typical selection for this field.

    See Understanding backup methods and their advantages.

    Files accessed in x days

    When the Working Set backup method is selected, use this field to specify the number of days for which to include accessed files.

    Use the Microsoft Change Journal if available

    Select this option if you want to use Windows' NTFS Change Journal to determine which files have been modified since the last full backup. This option can only be used with NTFS volumes and only when the backup method selected is Full - Back up files - Using modified time, Differential - Using modified time or Incremental - Using modified time.

    Collect additional information for synthetic backup and for true image restore

    This option displays only for templates. It is used with synthetic backup jobs and true image restore jobs.

    Select this option if you want Backup Exec to do the following:

    • Collect the information that is required to detect files and directories that have been moved, renamed, or newly installed since the last backup

    • Include those files and directories in the backup jobs.

    If you do not select this option, Backup Exec skips the files and directories that have unchanged archive bits. When you select this option, Backup Exec compares path names, file names, modified times, and other attributes with those from the previous full and incremental backups. If any of these attributes are new or changed, then the file or directory is backed up.

    Backup jobs that have this option selected require more disk space, and take more time to run, than backups that do not.

    You must select this option for the baseline and incremental backup template in a synthetic backup policy.

    See About the synthetic backup feature.

    Media overwrite protection

    Select one of the following media overwrite options:

    • Overwrite media. Select this option to place this backup on an overwritable media. Make sure that appropriate media is in the stand-alone drive or drive pool you select in the Device field in this dialog box.

      The media in the drive is overwritten if the media is scratch or recyclable (its overwrite protection period has expired). If allocated or imported media are in the drive, they may also be overwritten depending on the Media Overwrite Protection Level that is set.

      See Media overwrite protection levels.

      If the media in the drive is not overwritable, a message is displayed requesting that you insert overwritable media.

    • Append to media, overwrite if no appendable media is available. Select this option to add this backup to the media set listed in the Media Set field in the General applications dialog box.

      See Changing default preferences.

      The backup set is appended if an appendable media is available in the selected media set; if not, an overwritable media is used and added to the media set.

      If an append job fills a media, the job continues on another piece of overwritable media.

      Depending on your configuration, overwritable media is selected from Scratch media or Recyclable media.

      See Media overwrite protection.

      If the media in the drive is not overwritable, a message is displayed requesting that you insert overwritable media.

    • Append to media, terminate job if no appendable media is available. Select this option to add this backup to the media set listed in the Media Set field in the General applications dialog box.

      See Changing default preferences.

      The backup set is appended if an appendable media is available in the selected media set; if not, the job is terminated.

    Compression type

    Select one of the following compression types:

    • None. Select this option to copy the data to the media in its original form (uncompressed).

      Using some form of data compression can help expedite backups and preserve storage media space.

    • Software. Select this option to use STAC software data compression, which compresses the data before it is sent to the storage device.

    • Hardware [if available, otherwise none]. Select this option to use hardware data compression (if the storage device supports it). If the drive does not feature data compression, the data is backed up uncompressed.

    • Hardware [if available, otherwise software]. Select this option to use hardware data compression (if the storage device supports it). If the drive does not feature hardware data compression, STAC software compression is used.

    Verify after backup

    Select this option if you want backups to be verified after they are completed. Verify operations make sure the media can be read once the backup has been completed. Verifying all backups is recommended.

    Back up files and directories by following junction points

    Select this check box to back up the information for the junction points and the files and directories to which they are linked. If this check box is not selected, then only the information for the junction points is backed up; the files and directories to which they are linked are not backed up.

    Backup Exec does not follow junction points automatically created by Microsoft Windows Vista/Server 2008 because it can cause the data to be backed up repeatedly. You can find information about junction points at the following URL:

    http://entsupport.symantec.com/umi/V-269-9

    If you use junction points created by linkd.exe (or a similar tool) to span volumes, then Advanced Open File Option (AOFO) backups and Change Journal incremental backups will not follow the junction points properly. To perform AOFO and Change Journal incremental backups of volumes with junction points, clear this option. Junction points created by Disk Manager or mountvol.exe are supported.

    Since Mounted Drives that do not have a drive letter assigned to them cannot be selected, the files and directories to which they are linked are backed up regardless of whether this option is selected.

    If this option is selected and the actual files and directories to which the junction points are linked are also included in the backup selections, then the files and directories are backed up twice; once during the full file and directory backup, and again via the junction point.

    Warning:

    If a junction point is linked to a location that encompasses it, then recursion (a situation where data is backed up repeatedly) will occur, resulting in an error and job failure. For example, if c:\junctionpoint is linked to c:\, recursion will occur when attempting to back up c:\junctionpoint, and the backup job will fail.

    Back up files and directories by following symbolic links

    Select this option to back up the information for the symbolic links and the files and directories to which they are linked.

    If you do not select this option, only the information for the symbolic links is backed up. The files and directories to which they are linked are not backed up.

    If the symbolic link points to files and directories on a remote computer, the files and directories on the remote computer are not backed up.

    Back up data in Remote Storage

    Select this check box to back up data that has been migrated from primary storage to secondary storage. The data will not be recalled to its original location; it will be backed up directly to the backup media.

    If this option is selected, you should not run a backup of your entire system because Backup Exec will have to load the data that has been migrated to secondary storage and additional time will be required for any set that includes migrated data.

    If this check box is cleared, only the placeholder that stores the location of the data on secondary storage will be backed up, not the data itself.

    This option should not be selected if the device used for secondary storage and backups contains only one drive because Remote Storage and Backup Exec will compete for use of the drive.

    Enable single instance backup for NTFS

    This option is only available if you use the Microsoft Windows Single Instance Store (SIS) feature. Single instance backup checks the NTFS volume for identical files. If Backup Exec finds multiple copies of a file, it only backs up one instance of that file, regardless of how many SIS links reference it.

    Single instance backup can considerably reduce the storage space that is required for your backups. Many applications automatically generate files that have identical content. The actual amount of space you save depends on the number of duplicate files on the volume.

    If the backup job does not run to completion, the file data may not be included in the backup set. Rerun the backup until it is successfully completed. If the incremental backup method was used, running the job again will not back up the same files. You must run a full or copy backup to ensure that all files are backed up completely. If the incremental - using modified time backup method was used, running the same backup job to completion will back up the files correctly.

    Never

    Select this option to have Backup Exec skip open files if they are encountered during the backup operation. A listing of skipped files appears in the job log for the backup.

    If closed within x seconds

    Select this option to have Backup Exec wait the specified time interval for files to close before skipping the open file and continuing the backup operation.

    If the file does not close during the specified interval, it is skipped. A listing of skipped files appears in the job log for the backup.

    If multiple files are open, Backup Exec waits the specified time interval for each file; depending on the number of open files, this may significantly increase the backup time.

    With a lock

    Select this option to have Backup Exec attempt to open files that are in use. If Backup Exec is able to open a file, the file is locked while it is being backed up to prevent other processes from writing to it. Backing up open files is not as effective as closing applications and allowing the files to be backed up in a consistent state.

    Without a lock

    Select this option to have Backup Exec attempt to open files that are in use. If Backup Exec is able to open the file, the file is NOT locked while it is being backed up. This allows other applications to write data to the file during the backup operation.

    Caution:

    This option allows files to be backed up that contain inconsistent data and possibly corrupt data.

    See About the Advanced Open File Option.

    If Backup Exec Granular Recovery Technology (GRT) is enabled for backup, enter a path on the NFTS volume of the local media server where Backup Exec can stage temporary data

    Ensure that the default location of C:\temp is an NTFS volume, and that it is not a system volume. If C:\temp does not meet these requirements, type another path to an NTFS volume on the local media server where Backup Exec can stage temporary data.

    Backup Exec deletes the data when the backup completes.

    At least 1 GB of disk space is required.