[<<]Message[>>]    [<<]Author[>>]    [<<]Subject        [<<]Thread    

Number   :  7768
Date     :  2004-04-26
Author   :  Garry Deane
Subject  :  Re: Newbie Differential backup question
Size(KB) :  3


--- In xxcopy@yahoogroups.com, "budcastle"  wrote:
> I am new with xxcopy so please bear with me. I mirror one
> novell server to a windows server every night with a batch
> file using xxcopy. The following is the batch that i use
> for a differential backup, which is doing the job, but i
> would like comments on what is redundant or not needed.
> thanks in advance
 

I think your batch file is generally fine but I would make
a few changes.

1. I would use a few environment variables to reduce the
repetition of log file naming, source and destination paths
etc. This reduces the chance of mistyping a name and reduces
command line length which makes it easier to read.

2. I wouldn't worry about doing a CD command since it's not
needed when you fully specify the log file path.

3. Rather than renaming the log file with the date it was
created, I'd simply give the log file today's date. If you're
using the Pro version, you can do this simply with a date
macro. For the free version, you can extract today's date
elements by getting xxcopy to list the date of the current
user's registry file which will always have today's date.

If you want to use a fixed name for the latest log file then
rename it on the next run so it is easy to spot, I'd again
use xxcopy to list the date of the log file. This is because
xxcopy gives an easily parsed ISO date format rather than
the system dependent format returned by %%~ti.

4. Your xxcopy commands lend themselves to using a FOR loop
because the only thing that changes is the source path.

5. Your xxcopy commands are very similar to the /clone
command except that you are using /m instead of /bi which
is the basis of /clone. Although it's a matter of taste,
I prefer to use a standard command like /clone or /backup
then add the particular overrides needed rather than have
a long line of parameters like /e/h/r/ks.

6. I would be reluctant to use /clone (or /z) for a regular
network based backup. As another user has recently posted,
there can be occassional connectivity issues with network
copies. If xxcopy starts running and the connection suddenly
drops, you may find that all your backup files get deleted
because they don't exist in the now missing source volume.
I'd prefer to use /backup and have a few additional files
in the backup directory than run that risk.

Here's how I would re-write your batch file. Note this is
mostly cosmetic - it doesn't really change how your backup
commands function.

@echo off
setlocal
if not defined c set c=c:
:: Alternative 1 - requires the Pro version
set log=%C%\backup\/$yyyy-mm-dd$.txt
:: Alternative 2 - free or Pro version
:: Get the today's date from the user registry
for /f "tokens=1-3 delims=- " %%j in (
'xxcopy "%userprofile%\ntuser.dat" /ld/zs') do (
set log=%C%\backup\%%j_%%k_%%l.txt)
:: Alternative 3 - rename old backup.txt
set log=%C%\backup\backup.txt
if exist %log% (
for /f "tokens=1-3 delims=- " %%j in (
'xxcopy %log% /ld/zs') do ren %log% %%j_%%k_%%l.txt
) else (
echo No Backup.txt File Exists
pause
)

:backup
set src=\\garmen
set dst=\\montville_data1
for %%a in (
sys\administration\ sys\scottc\ sys\users\ sys\urbitran\ engineering\
) do (
xxcopy %src%\%%a %dst%\%%a /clone/pz0/b0/m/pb/oa%log%/of3/os1/od3/oe3
)
goto :eof

Garry



This message if part of XXCOPY's message Archive.
The archive contains all the messages posted at Yahoo!Groups: XXCOPY.