UltraBac has the ability to track and back up an image of only the disk sectors that have been modified since the last full image backup. This ability will help minimize the amount of space required to store image backups, and will allow a server to be quickly backed up and restored as necessary.
UltraBac creates a file called "UltraBac_DF2K.idx" (a hidden "system" file) on each partition being backed up differentially or incrementally. This file tracks all modified clusters on the partition, and is cleared during a full or incremental image backup.
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NOTE: If the system is improperly shut down, the sector tracking will be reset and UltraBac will perform a full backup automatically on the next backup. |
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NOTE: The UltraBac Image Disaster Recovery Agent does not support differential images of dual-boot systems. A full image backup will have to be performed after each boot into the secondary OS. |
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NOTE: For a detailed description of incremental and differential backup sets, including contents and format, please see the UltraBac Knowledge Base:
UBQ000080: Incremental/Differential Backups and the Archive Bit |
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NOTE: To create an image backup of a remote system, the UltraBac Image Disaster Recovery Agent must be installed on the system being imaged. For more information on installing the Image Disaster Recovery Agent, please visit the "Installing UltraBac" section of the UltraBac User Manual:
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Full backup – creates/clears the file (.idx) used to track changed clusters.
Differential backup – back up only the clusters changed since the last full backup.
Fig. 1 - Image Agent options.
Ransomware Detection feature tracks the amount of data changed in between incremental backups and/or incremental replication operations. The user enters the maximum percentage that the data can be changed beforehand for two different scenarios. (1) Give a warning if the volume’s data is changed more than the set percentage. (2) Abort the backup if the volume’s data is changed more than the set percentage.
Users can set thresholds for the amount of changed block activity before either initiating a warning or to abort the operation. If an incremental backup or replication operation finds that more blocks than the set warning parameter have changed since the last operation, an email is sent and the activity is recorded in the backup log. If an operation finds that more blocks than the set abort parameter have changed than the operation is canceled and logged.
If there is a conflict between the set warning and abort parameters then the abort function will always take precedence (e.g. Warning = 50% change; Abort = 25% change).
Type a set description as it will appear in the backup log, into the "Set Description" field, but do not modify the File Selection Logic menu. Click "Next."
Check "View/Edit files in the backup set" and click "Finish."
Fig. 2 - Image set loaded in the File Viewer.
Save the set by clicking "Action"/"Save" from the main UltraBac menu.
To restore an Incremental/Differential Image backup, the full backup prior to the incremental/differential backup must first be restored. Once the full backup is restored, the differential backup can be restored. If restoring an incremental image, each backup must be restored in chronological order starting with the full backup.
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NOTE: If one incremental image backup is lost or corrupt, all subsequent incremental image backups will become unrestorable. |
To begin the restore process:
Launch the Restore Wizard by selecting the Restore tab, and selecting the index source.
Select and load the index for restore.
Select the disk or partition for restore.
Click "Action"/"Restore this Backup."
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NOTE: For more information, please see "Restoring an Image Backup" under the "Image Disaster Recovery Agent" section of the UltraBac User Manual.
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NOTE: The "Resize Partition(s)" checkbox should only be checked when performing the final restore of an incremental or differential image backup. |
Check "Run Unattended," and click "Restore."
Fig. 3 - Incremental/Differential Restore prompt.
After the restore completes, immediately restore the most recent corresponding differential or all corresponding incremental backups beginning with the oldest incremental backup.
Reboot the system to activate the restored disk or partition.
Starting in UltraBac version 9.x, it is possible to do a one-step restore with differential or incremental restores. To do this style of restore, you must configure UltraBac to save both the full image backups and the differential or incremental backups to the same backup device (i.e. all the backups would go to backuppath0).
To begin the point-in-time restore process:
Launch the Restore Wizard by selecting the Restore tab, and selecting the index source.
Select and load the index of the differential or incremental backup that is the "point in time" you wish to restore. Click "OK."
Select "Yes" or "No" to choose whether the backup will restore to a different machine.
Select the disk or partition for restore.
Click "Action"/"Restore this Backup."
Choose either the "Express Mode" or the "Advanced Mode" radio button and select the appropriate "Settings" box.
Choose the desired Settings options. Click "OK."
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NOTE: For more information, please see "Restoring the Image / Express / Advance Mode Restores" under the "UBDR Gold" section of the UltraBac User Manual.
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Click "Next" on the Restore Modes Wizard.
Check "Run Unattended" and click "Restore."
A message box will pop up asking "Would you like to automatically restore all backups in this point in time restore?" Click "Yes."
Fig. 4 - Point-in-time automatic restore of multiple backups.
Reboot the system to activate the image restore or use Disk Management to assign a drive letter to a non-OS partition.