Trying to combine separate backup scripts

[Sophie]

I'm trying to set up 2 different backup scripts to make my VMWare backups manageable. I have setup VMWare shared folders so all frequently-changing Windows user files are available directly in OSX.

Script 1: every day, backup all files except the VMWare folder, smart update

Script 2: once a month, backup just the VMWare folder (included scripts = exclude all files.dset), smart update

I am aiming for something that will give me a backup where all OSX files are always no more than 24-hours out of date, and the virtual machine file is always no more than 1 month out of date.

Is this correct? I did an experiment and Script-2 wiped out all the backups done by Script-1, presumably due to the Smart Update. I expect Script-1 will likewise kill my monthly VMWare backup.

Is there a better way to do this? Am I misunderstanding something?

Thanks!

Sophie

[dnanian]

You'd have to use entirely separate backup volumes to do this, Sophie... but do you really want to? If your VMWare information is valuable and changing, it's really best to back it up. If it hasn't changed, the unchanged files won't be copied...

[Sophie]

The VMWare virtual-machine file changes every time I run windows, and it is a single gigantic monolithic file (currently 45GB for me). But the Windows setup very rarely changes (new apps, etc.) I don't want to update a 45GB file needlessly every day.

The user's data files on Windows (word docs, pdfs, Outlook data file, etc.) do change frequently, so I use the VMWare facility for Shared Folders to relocate the users data files out of the VMWare monolithic file, into plain old files on the OSX file system. And I want those backed up daily.

I was really hoping SD's "ignore X" meant, simply, don't do anything about "X", just leave it as it is on the backup volume. I guess it means "don't try to back it up, but go ahead and delete it on the backup volume for Smart Update". I don' think I agree with that.

Anyway, if something like VMWare or Parallels is as common among OSX/SD users as I think it is, it may be worth considering a good solution. I think the arrangement I outlined is relatively common.

Thanks.

[sjk]

Originally Posted by Sophie

I was really hoping SD's "ignore X" meant, simply, don't do anything about "X", just leave it as it is on the backup volume. I guess it means "don't try to back it up, but go ahead and delete it on the backup volume for Smart Update". I don' think I agree with that.

If "ignore" didn't work the way it does with Smart Update I can imagine cases where it would easily get tedious keeping track of or figuring out which ignored files/folders are/aren't actually saved on backup volumes.

[dnanian]

There are modes you can use with VMWare disks to get it to save smaller drive 'segments' rather than a single monolithic file...

[sjk]

Originally Posted by dnanian

There are modes you can use with VMWare disks to get it to save smaller drive 'segments' rather than a single monolithic file...

And I vaguely remember reading (somewhere) that using segments is recommended for performance reasons while searching for info how to remove an orphaned Boot Camp partition dependency from a friend's Fusion configuration. There didn't seem to be any advantage to using a monolithic file, which kind of surprised me.

[Sophie]

Originally Posted by sjk

If "ignore" didn't work the way it does with Smart Update I can imagine cases where it would easily get tedious keeping track of or figuring out which ignored files/folders are/aren't actually saved on backup volumes.

True. Perhaps more than one (differently named) "ignore"?

The multi-segment file does not help, all of them appear to get touched by VMWare.

I'd love to learn how current SD + VMWare users handle this.

Thanks!

[sjk]

Originally Posted by Sophie

Perhaps more than one (differently named) "ignore"?

Why not?
In general, the Script Command tab of the Copy Script editor seems overdue for some attention.

The multi-segment file does not help, all of them appear to get touched by VMWare.

Now that you mention it I remember noticing that happening.

I'd love to learn how current SD + VMWare users handle this.

I'm partly disqualified since my experience with VMWare (Fusion) is limited to infrequent admin of it on my friend's system.

[dnanian]

My own VMWare archive doesn't seem to be copied every time.

A 'preserve' command is something we've considered, but it's complicated to do well and to explain... and only useful in rare situations. Not to mention issues with erase-then-copy and confusion there.

In general, I don't suggest doing this: I suggest backing it up every time. If I had to not do that for some reason, I'd back up VMWare to a separate volume and update that when you want to do so, rather than trying to keep it in on the same one.

[Sophie]

OK, and thanks.