Computer Backup: Files to Backup tab

This topic applies to LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service Agent version 3.6 or earlier, and to computers running Agent version 4.0 or later when configuring Files and Directories backup, other database backup, or a custom Exchange backup. If you are running Agent version 4.0 or later and are defining an automatic Exchange backup configuration, see Computer Backup: Files to Backup tab (for automatic Exchange backup).

Purpose

Use this Files to Backup tab on the Backup form to specify:

Which files and directories you want to back up from this computer on the backup configuration you are currently defining.
For a Files and Directories backup configuration, whether to back up the Windows NT Registry or Windows 2000/2003 System State for this computer.

Important: It is important to back up the Windows Registry/System State for your computer. If you do not back it up, you may not be able to restore your databases or applications.

There are two ways to specify which files you want to back up. You can browse and select the files from a tree view of your computer's file structure, or you can manually define the file selection rules. Use this form to:

Individually select the volumes, directories and files to back up.
Clear all selected volumes, directories and files.
Select all volumes, directories and files.
Back up the Registry or System State (on the Files and Directories backup configuration).
Manually define rules for the backup.
Set the order of existing rules.
Delete a rule.
Edit an existing rule.
Save the backup configuration.

A general Files and Directories backup configuration is automatically created for you. By default, this configuration will back up everything on the computer, including the Registry (for Windows NT) or System State (for Windows 2000/2003). However, it will not back up those files and directories that you specifically exclude from backup, or those files and directories that you specify on other backup configurations (for example, a Microsoft Exchange configuration or a database configuration). This backup configuration is always created, even if you specifically exclude all files and directories from the backup configuration.

Note: If you are running anti-virus software or certain other applications, additional configuration is required to ensure successful backup operations. See Configuring Your Backup: Guidelines for additional information.

If you are defining your own custom Exchange backup configuration, follow the guidelines in the appropriate procedure for your Exchange version to ensure that you select the appropriate Exchange data to back up:

You should also create different backup configurations to back up each individual database on your computer. For each database configuration, use this form to select just the related database files, and set a schedule indicating when that data should be backed up. See Configuring Your Backup: Guidelines for assistance configuring your database and application backup.

Fields and Buttons Descriptions

Field/Button	Description
Name of database	This box appears if you are creating a database configuration. Type a name for this configuration. Assign a name that will allow you to identify the database that is being backed up. For example, if you are backing up your Microsoft SQL server, you might use the name SQL.
Directory tree (on the left)	Click in the directory tree to navigate through the volumes and directories of your computer: Click the expand or collapse icon preceding a computer icon to display or hide its volumes. Click the expand or collapse icon preceding a volume icon to display or hide its directories. Click the expand or collapse icon preceding a directory or subdirectory icon to display or hide its subdirectories. Click on a volume or directory icon or name to display its contents in the selection pane.
Selection pane (on the right)	View and select the directories and files to back up for this configuration. You can also clear the directories and files to exclude them from this configuration. For a Files and Directories backup configuration, by default all directories and files are selected except for those that LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service has automatically excluded from backup. The items displayed in the selection pane are contained in the item (that is, volume or directory) selected in the directory tree. The icon preceding an item indicates whether the item is included or excluded from backup on this configuration: None = Indicates files and directories that will not be backed up because they are not on this rule list (see below). Some = Indicates some files in the directories may be backed up. All = Indicates files or entire directories are selected on this rule list and will be backed up. Excluded = Indicates files and directories that LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service has automatically excluded from backup. For more information about automatic exclusions, see Automatic and Recommended Backup Exclusions. Some w/ exclusions = Indicates LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service may have automatically excluded from backup some files and subdirectories in the directories. None w/ exclusions = Indicates LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service may automatically exclude from backup some files and subdirectories in the directories. As icons are selected and cleared, the associated rules are automatically added or removed from the configuration’s rule list. To select a file or an entire directory to back up, click on the blank or half-filled icon preceding it in the selection list box. When you select a directory for back up, all its subdirectories and files are backed up unless you specifically exclude them. To exclude a file or directory, click on the full or half-filled icon preceding it in the selection list box. To include or exclude multiple contiguous files or directories: Click the first item you want to highlight, press and hold the SHIFT key, and click the last item you want to highlight. All items between these two are highlighted in the list. Then click to include the items, or click to exclude the items. To include or exclude multiple, non-contiguous items: Click the name or icon of the first item you want to highlight, press and hold the CTRL key, and click each additional item you want to highlight. Then click to include the items, or click to exclude the items.
Backup the Registry/System State	Select this check box to include the computer’s Registry/System State. By default, this check box is selected. Clear this check box if you do not want to back up the Registry/System State. This check box appears for the Files and Directories backup configuration only. Important: It is important to back up the Windows Registry/System State for your computer. If you do not back it up, you will not be able to perform a disaster recovery, and you may not be able to restore your databases or applications.
Rule list	Displays all the existing rules for this configuration. The following information is displayed for each rule: Icon: The icon indicates the rule is an include rule; the icon indicates the rule is an exclude rule. Path: Displays the search string that LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service tries to match against the file system to determine which directories and files to include or exclude. Subdirectories?: Displays Yes if the rule is applied to all files in subdirectories located at any point below the specified directory. To delete or move a rule, select the rule in this list and click the appropriate button. (Note: The order of rules is important. For more information, see Interpreting File Selection Rules.) To modify a rule or create a new rule based on an existing rule, select the rule in the list. The rule's information appears in the Path to include/exclude box. This is available in the Advanced view only.
Include/Exclude	Select the option to specify whether the file or directory indicated in the Path to include/exclude box is to be backed up: Include = Back up the file/directory. Exclude = Do not back up the file/directory. The default is Include. This is available in the Advanced view only.
Include subdirectories	Select this check box to extend the scope of the rule to apply to files located within the specified directory and to files within all subdirectories at any point below the specified directory. Clear the check box to restrict the rule so it applies only to those files located in the specified directory. The default is selected. This is available in Advanced view only.
Path to include/exclude	Specify the criteria that LiveVault Online Backup and Recovery Service will use to select files to include and exclude from backup. Type a full Windows NT path including volume, directory and, optionally, file pattern. The NT path can: Include any characters (letters, numbers, symbols, punctuation marks and spaces) excluding quotation marks ("), ">", "<", "\|". It can include the wildcard "" to represent a directory. Be a directory, with full path including volume. For example, C:\Program Files\LiveVault\ Be a file pattern, with full path including volume. Be a maximum of 259 characters. File patterns can include any legal NT file characters, as well as NT file wildcard characters: An actual filename, e.g., C:\MARKETING\BUDGET.TMP NT wildcard strings, e.g., C:\MARKETING\.TMP Wildcards for file patterns can be: (asterisk) which matches zero or more characters. ? (question mark) which matches a single occurrence of any character. For example, *.tmp matches all files that have the .tmp extension. For more wildcard examples, see Interpreting File Selection Rules. This is available in Advanced view only.
Select All button	Click to select all files and directories on the computer for backup. The associated rules are automatically added to the rule list.
Clear All button (in Simple view area)	Click to clear all currently selected files and directories, so nothing is under backup. All rules are automatically removed from the rule list.
Advanced / Simple button	Click the Advanced button to expand the page to display the rule list and associated fields and buttons, so you can manually edit rules for backup. After the page expands, this button switches to Simple. Click the Simple button to collapse the page to display only the tree structure so you can use the graphic view to select what to back up. When the page is collapsed, the Advanced button is available.
Delete button	Click to delete the selected rule. This button is available if a rule is selected in the rule list. It is available in Advanced view only.
Clear All button (in Advanced view area)	Click to delete all rules from the rule list. This removes everything from backup.
Move Up / Move Down buttons	Click to move the selected rule up or down one place in the rule list according to the button clicked. Note: The order of rules is important. For more information, see Interpreting File Selection Rules. These buttons are available if a rule is selected in the rule list. These are available in Advanced view only.
Edit button	Click to modify the selected rule in the text box, then click Edit to move the modified rule into the rule list. This is available if a rule is selected in the rule list. The selected rule's information is displayed in the Path to include/exclude box. This is available in Advanced view only.
New button	Click to add the new rule to the rule list per information in the text box and rule options. This is available if there is a valid entry in the Path to include/exclude box. This is available in Advanced view only.
Save button	Click to save your backup configuration. The Computer Backup form containing the backup configuration's properties opens so you can review your configuration.
Cancel button	Click to discard your configuration work: If you are defining a new backup configuration, the new configuration is not created. If you are editing an existing backup configuration, your changes to the existing configuration are not applied.