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Backup "My Documents" (EZ-Backup Windows)

This article applies to: EZ-Backup

In an effort to reduce EZ-Backup storage charges, some users choose to back up only the folders that contain user documents. This method has serious repercussions in situations such as hard drive failures or lost systems, since operating system and application files can no longer be restored via EZ-Backup. In addition, some applications store user information in places other than the folders discussed here.

The EZ-Backup team strongly advises you to discuss this change with your technical support staff before implementing it to verify your recovery options in case of a disaster (lost hard drive or lost system).

Although users often consider the "My Documents" folder as the sole repository of their information, many applications, such as Outlook, store their data elsewhere. The procedure described here shows how to backup the complete user directory, not just the My Documents sub-directory.

The following documentation assumes the TSM client was installed using an EZ-Backup installer.

In order to limit a backup to the user information on a Windows system, two changes need to be made to the default configuration:

  1. The domain of the backup needs to be limited to the C: drive, so exactly one DOMAIN option should specified in the configuration file:

    DOMAIN C:

  2. Two statements need to be added to the top of the INCLUDE/EXCLUDE statement list in the order shown, with the string userid replaced with the user's Windows userid.

EXCLUDE "*"

INCLUDE "C:\Users\userid\...\*"

These changes can be made to the dsm.opt file using a text editor. They can also be made using the  GUI client using the following steps.

  1. Logon to Windows using an Administrator ID.
  2. From the Windows Start menu select Programs, then Tivoli Storage Manager then Backup-Archive Client.
  3. From the Edit menu, select Client Preferences.
  4. Click the Backups Tab. Illustration of backup preferences tab
  5. Unclick the "Back up all lcoal file systems".   Doing so should make the various entries in the Domain List window available for selection.   Click on the C: box. Selection of C in backup preferences tab
  6. Click the Include/Exclude Tab.
  7. Click Add. A Define Include-Exclude Options dialog box will open.
  8. From the Category dropdown, select Backup.
  9. From the Type dropdown, select Exclude.
  10. For File or Pattern, type * (the asterisk character) - NO quotes, NO spaces, just the single asterisk. Asterisk in file or pattern field
  11. Click OK.
  12. Click on the new statement (Exclude "*") at the bottom of the Statement List to highlight it. Selection of new exclude
  13. Click Move Up repeatedly, until the statement is at the top of the Statement List (you may need to scroll up to follow your progress). New exclude at top of list
  14. Click Apply.
  15. Click OK to continue past the Warning message that appears.
  16. Click Add. A Define Include-Exclude Options dialog box will open.
  17. From the Category drop-down, select Backup.
  18. From the Type drop-down, select Include.
  19. Leave Management Class blank.
  20. For File or Pattern, type one of the following statements, based on your operating system and your userid on your computer. If you are not sure what your userid is, ask your technical support provider. (For many people, their userid is the same as their NetID, but not all departments use this method.)

C:\Users\userid\...\*

Addition of new file pattern

  1. Click OK.
  2. Click on the new statement INCLUDE statement at the bottom of the Statement List  to highlight it. Select new pattern
  3. Click Move Up repeatedly, until the statement is at the SECOND item on Statement List, coming just after the EXCLUDE statement you created earlier in this process (you may need to scroll up to follow your progress). Move new pattern up to second on the list
  4. Click Apply.
  5. Click OK to continue past the Warning message that appears.
  6. Click the Backup tab. Selection of backup tab
  7. Unclick the "Backup all local domains" box.
  8. Click on the C: drive in the Domain List window. Selection of C in domain list
  9. Click Apply.
  10. Click OK to continue past the Warning message that appears.
  11. Click OK to exit client preferences.
  12. Exit TSM GUI client.
  13. Restart the TSM Client Scheduler service (if used).

For more information on the syntax of include/exclude statements, see IBM documentation on include/exclude statements.

For more information about the placement and ordering of these statements, see How does the EZ-Backup software process the Include/Exclude rules?

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