Elsewhere, we describe how to create rules to include files and how to create rules to exclude files.

This article describes four ways to check that the include/exclude rules will do what you hoped.

After Adding New Rules and Before Running a Backup Part One: Checking via the GUI Client

1. Start up the TSM Backup Client (Start - (All) Programs - Tivoli Storage Manager - Backup Archive GUI).
2. Click Backup and expand the Local section of the directory tree.
3. Navigate to the location of the file(s) you expect are excluded (or included) by your new include/exclude statements.
4. If the file has a small red X on its icon, it is excluded from backup. If it does not have a red X, it is included for backup.
5. Close the Tivoli Storage Manager.

After Adding New Rules and Before Running a Backup Part Two: Using the Preview Include-Exclude Report

1. Start up the TSM Backup Client (Start - (All) Programs - Tivoli Storage Manager - Backup Archive GUI).
2. Click Utilities, then select Preview Include-Exclude. A new pane titled Preview Include-Exclude will open. 
3. In the largest window, navigate to the location of the file(s) you expect are excluded (or included) by your new include/exclude statements. This is usually under the Local branch of the tree.
4. Select the files or folders you want included in the report. Note: the more files included in the report, the longer it runs.
5. If desired, change the location of the report file (using the Browse button).
6. Click OK to run the report, then Yes to the warning that pops up.
7. Wait for the message that the report has completed running, and click OK to clear that message.
8. Close the Tivoli Storage Manager.
9. Start Notepad (or other text editor) and navigate to the report file. The report file contains one line for each directory and file object checked, along with an indication as to whether the object is included or excluded in the backup, and which include/exclude rule is used in making that determination.

After a Manual or Scheduled Backup

1. Start up the TSM Backup Client (Start - (All) Programs - Tivoli Storage Manager - Backup Archive GUI).
2. Click Restore and expand the File Level section of the directory tree.
3. For included files, navigate to the location of the files you want to make sure are backed up and see that they appear in the right side of the window. For excluded files, navigate to the location of the files that you do not want backed up, and make sure that they do not appear in the right side of the window.
4. Close the Tivoli Storage Manager.

After a Scheduled Automatic Backup

Check the dsmsched.log file to see that the files you expect to be excluded are not listed as Sent, and that the files you want backed up are listed as Sent. (The default location is C:\Program Files\Tivoli\TSM\baclient\dsmsched.log)

The included files will only be listed as Sent the first time they are backed up and any time they are changed. If they have not changed in a while, Methods 1 and 2 may be of more help.