Backup

 

 

The main backup window consists of two parts:

  1. Backup Browser - (Two upper panes) to browse and select files and folders for backup.
  2. Sessions - (Two lower panes): sessions list (lower left pane) and selected session's content (lower right pane).
  3. Feature's Buttons - Extra buttons for advanced backup features.

 

Sessions List

 

As seen above, the two lower panes represent the session's list (6) and the selected session's content (items) (7).

The 'Sessions List' shows all sessions defined in BOS, including the last time every session ran, the  status of the last run (successful, warning or error), and the last modification's time.

The backup caption text (1) indicates the session's name (or new) and the current path of the browser.

Please note that a session must be left-clicked before it can be right-clicked. This particularity allows to drag other existing sessions to a new session to create a 'Session-In-Session' job, as described on 'Advanced Use'  further in this manual.

 

New session
When opening the main backup window, no session is selected and the window's header (1) is: -=NEW=-, to indicate that BOS is ready to define a new session.

After adding file(s) or folder(s) to the session's items (7) it can be saved as a new session with a new name (Crtl+S, or right click on 'Sessions list' or right-click 'Session's Items' and select 'Save' or 'Save As').

 

Edit Session
In order to edit an existing session, select a session from the list (6) to make it the current session (see the session's name in the window's header (1)).

 Any changes performed at this stage - adding or deleting item(s), changing properties etc. will only take effect  after saving the session.

 

Right Click  Commands

 

Use mouse right-click for more commands:

 

New session - Clear list for a new session definition.

 

Save - Save the changes performed in the current session.

 

Save as - Save the current session under a new name.

 

Delete session - To delete the selected session. If this session had a schedule defined, it will be automatically deleted.

 

Session options - See 'Session Options'.

 

Schedule this session - 'Jump' to the  schedule window, with this selected session, to define its timing.

 

Run Now (Current user login) - Runs this session immediately. BOS will first use the current login access (the user login to the computer) to access the target machine.

 

Run Now (With session's account) - Runs this session immediately, but BOS will force disconnection from the target machine before accessing, and will then use the Username\Password as defined in the session's options. This feature is  mainly designed to test the login permissions and validation.

 

Create shortcut on desktop - This action will create a desktop shortcut for the session. This will enable the operator  to immediately run this session any time with a mouse click, without the need of opening BOS.

 

View last log - Opens the last log of the selected session.

 

Add to list - Adds the selected session to another session. See 'Advanced Usage' issues.

 

 

Session's Item(s)

 

The lower right pane (7) shows the selected or new session's file(s) and folder(s).

Note that the selected item(s) will be displayed as a UNC path , like a command prompt.

Use mouse right-click to display more commands:

 

New Entry - Opens the 'Item's properties' window for manually inserting an item.

 

Edit Entry (Item's properties) - See 'Item's properties'.

 

Delete Entry - Delete selected item(s).

 

Disable/ Enable - Instructs BOS to skip this item without deleting it.

 

Save - Saves the changes performed in the current session.

 

Save as - Saves current session under a new name.

 

Copy session line - Copies the item's UNC path to clipboard.

 

Paste session line - Pastes the copied item. This feature can be used to copy and paste items from a sessions to other/s.

 

Move up - BOS runs a session's items procedurally: first line first, last line last.

The move up action enables  to move the selected item up in the item's order, changing its priority.

 

Move down - Moves the selected item down in the item's order.

 

 

Explorer Compatibility

 

Windows explorer can be opened to drag selected files and folders directly to the 'Session's items'.

 

 

Backup Browser

 

This is an Windows explorer-like browser in which files and folders can be selected for backup.

Browse it using the upper-left tree (3) and upper-right list (4).

You can also use the address bar panel (2) for fast access to machines, as you use on the Windows file explorer.

To select an item to backup - file(s) or folder(s) - right-click the item and select 'Add to backup',

or alternatively drag the item with the mouse and release it onto the lower-right pane ('Session items'). You can select multiple items at once as well.

 

The browser has also right-click mouse options.

The menu for the left pane contains:

Add to list - Adds the selected item to the item list.

Open - Opens the selected item, if executable.

Refresh - Refreshes the browser's contents.

Properties - Same as 'properties' command on the Windows explorer.

 

The menu for the right pane contains:

Open - Opens the selected item, if executable.

View - Exposes the list view options in order to select - detailed or list.

Arrange icons - Sorts the items by name, type, size or date.

Add to list - Adds the selected item to the item list.

Refresh - Refreshes the browser contents.

Properties - Same as in the 'properties' command in Windows explorer.

 

 

Features' Buttons

 

These buttons (5) access special features and add-ons of BOS backup that are not enabled or visible by the browser because of their unique nature.

See 'Advanced Usage'  chapter.

 

 

Session Options

 

This defines the overall settings and behavior of the entire session.

The options window has three major issues (tab selection).

 

Logs & Messaging

 

A log is generated on every BOS action.

In this section you can direct the log output in several ways:

 

  • Also save log to folder - In addition to the default logs location ('logs' folder under BOS application folder), you can add a different folder in which to save the logs.
  • Print log on default printer - The log file will be printed.
  • Email log to - BOS will send the log (as an attachment) to the email address you define here.
  • Do not save logs... - Prevents saving logs on the BOS machine.
  • Send pop-up message - Uses Windows pop-up service to pop up a message in selected machines. Use 'Add...' and 'Remove' buttons for the computers list. 
    The sent message can be altered - See on 'Advance Usage' chapter.

 

 

 

Note that all options have an 'On Error' option check. When enabled, the selected option will be activated only if an error occurred during the backup run.

 

 

Exclude & Force

 

The default exclude/force list is inherited from the general exclude/force list ('Options' menu).

When locally changed in a session, the session's exclude/force list is independent.

The default configuration can be retrieved by clicking the 'Reset' button.

 

Exclude is the list of file(s) and folder(s) BOS will skip when performing backup.

Force instructs BOS to backup file(s) even though it appears as if it has not been changed.

See detailed information on the uses and comprehension of the Exclude and Force features on the 'Advanced Usage' related chapter.

 

  • Exclude Files - In this section the operator defines the files and folders to exclude in the appointed session.
    The Exclude list can be modified with the 'Add', 'Edit' and 'Del' buttons.
  • Force Files - Definition of the list of files and folders BOS will be forced to backup on every backup run, even if unchanged.

 

 

Miscellaneous Options

 

More options for a session run are presented.

  • Run before / after backup session - Define a batch file of a prompt command to run before or after a session.
  • Run only on error - Execute the 'Run after' shell command only at error.
  • Single Run - By default, when a session is  scheduled to run, BOS will check if this particular session is already running. If it is, BOS won't initiate the scheduled session.
    Mark this checkbox if  wanting to allow BOS to run duplications of  sessions at the same time.

  • Disconnect after session - When BOS backs up another machine, it logs in with username \ password. This connection creates a credential and a share-session with the target machine. In some situations no disconnection happens after BOS completed the backup session (even though a timeout feature is defined in Windows OS)  Thus, it might prevent users and applications to access the server BOS has just backed up.

    Use this switch to force disconnection after BOS has finished backing up the machine.

  • Run As... - This option applies for backing up Win9x machines. Please read 'Advanced Use'  for information about this feature.

 

 

Item's Properties

 

This is the section dealing with options for each item in the 'Session's Item's' list.

Access the item's properties by double clicking the item on the list, or by right clicking and selecting 'New Entry' or 'Edit Entry'.

 

  • Path - Displays the UNC path of the selected item. Note the '*.*' at the end of the path, which can be manually manipulated.
    When activating a filter, this extension will change to the filter's name, as described in the 'Filter' help.
  • Include subdirectories - Backup this item with its subfolders.
  • Login as -The username \ password BOS will use to login to the target machine. The login accounts are set in the 'Options' window.
  • Do not / Use this filter - Selecting a filter name for this item. Use the 'Filter...' button to customize the filters' masks. See more on 'Filter' section.

  • Date & Size limitations - Apply limitations on 'What to backup' using this filter. BOS will not collect any files that do not comply with date and size limitations settings.

  • No errors if this item is not available - Use this option when backing up portable computers.     By default, BOS reports error after it could not access a machine. When backing up portable computers that might be unavailable, check this option, in order to stop BOS from  sending error reports about them.

  • Pause this line - Check this option in cases in which an item is neither wanted to be backed up nor to be deleted from the list. BOS will skip it when running backup.
  • Keep only... - BOS manages and keeps files in backup storage according to the overall setting in 'Options' (for instance: 30 days to keep histories). In this option, a more accurate setting can be defined. The default '9999999' commands BOS to comply with the overall setting in 'Days to keep histories' ('Options' menu). When setting other numbers, BOS will keep XX numbers of versions, according to the setting. For instance, by setting this number to 5, BOS will keep only 5 versions of the item(s). Any new version that BOS will copy to backup will cause the deleting of the last (6th) version from the backup storage. 
    If the cipher 0 is set, BOS will keep only 'Current' (latest) version, discarding historic versions.
    Use this option for items you do not wish to keep for too long, such as database files, or  files which are useless in much older versions..

 

 

Filter

 

When selecting 'Use filter' in the 'Item's properties', the 'Filter..' button is enabled for customizing the filters' definitions.

The filters' setting covers all BOS sessions. Therefore, by defining a filter in a session,  it also applies to any other session.

 

In this form the operator defines whether to use or not the filter on the selected item, and also to choose the kind of  filter.

Filters are saved by name (recognized by '-=' at start and '=-' at the end of the name).

New filters can be created, and any filter can be modified and  deleted.

The 'Load Defaults' button retrieves a 'manufacturer's default' filter list.

 

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