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How to create a smart backup

May 11, 2016

This article shows how to create a smart backup job of the given sources to a specified destination using
Backup4all. The current method can be extended to other sources and destinations supported by Backup4all.

On this page: How to configure the backup job Backup execution examples
The smart backup type will create a full back up on the first execution, then it will calculate and automatically
decide which is the best backup type to be executed, in order to keep as many file versions as possible in the
given destination space. This way, the full, differential and incremental types will be used for the further
backup executions. The smart backup type will create in destination a new zip file with the backup sources
from each source drive.

How to configure the backup job

1. Open Backup4all
2. Press New button to open the New Backup Wizard. Type a name for the backup job and select the
backup destination. Then press Next

3. On this page you can add the backup sources by pressing the Add folder and Add files buttons. When
ready, press Next

4. On this page, you can select the backup type. In this example we will use the smart backup type.

Press Save->Save.

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5. In Backup Properties->Smart, we set the limit of backup size to 500 MB.

6. In Explore View (F2) of Backup4all, we can see the backup sources.

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Backup execution examples

We will perform several backup executions to see what we get in destination.

1. As we have sources from C and D drive, after the first backup execution, we get in destination a zip file
for each source drive: 1_C.zip and 1_D.zip. Total size of sources is 200 MB

2. For the second backup execution we will add a new folder called “02” in backup sources on D: drive.

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3. After the 2nd backup execution we get in destination: 2_D.zip which is the second backup version,
containing only folder “02”.

4. For the 3rd backup execution we will add a new folder to D: drive, called “01”. The size of “01” folder
is 186 MB. We will get in destination an incremental backup 3_D.zip.

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5. For the 4th backup execution we will change an existing source file on D: drive. The size of the
changed file is 35 MB. An incremental will be generated 4_D.zip

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6. For the 5th backup execution we will change again the same source file on D: drive. The size of the
changed file is 35 MB. An incremental will be generated 5_D.zip

7. For the 6th backup execution we will change again the same source file of 35 MB. Because the limit is
almost reached, Backup4all asks the user if he agrees to delete all backups except the last full and run a

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differential since the last full. The backup numbers: 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be merged with the new created
backup in backup number 6 (file 6_D.zip).

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Applies to:

Backup4all 5.x, 6.x

NEW: Backup4All 7.4.475

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