Using the Command Line Interface › ca_backup - Backup Manager Command › ca_backup - Database Options › ca_backup - VSS Agent Database Options

ca_backup - VSS Agent Database Options

The ca_backup command includes the following VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) agent database options:

ca_backup -vss <vss_path> 

[-vss_writer 
[-transport [retainshadowcopy]] 
[-excludefincludedinthis] 
[-excludefexcludedbythis] 
[-erroronceffail]
[-method <FULL|INCR|DIFF|COPY|LOG>]]

• -vss <vss_path>

  Specifies that the backup options set at the Writer level affect only the selected Writer and overrides any global options set for VSS backups.You must supply the path location for the file system to be backed up.

• -vss_writer

  Specifies to use Writer options. Directs the VSS backup process to use the options provided by the selected writer and to enable the other Writer backup options.

• -transport [retainshadowcopy]

  Specifies to use a transportable snap-shot. Creates a transportable VSS backup copy of entire volumes. This shadow copy is a mirror of an entire LUN; however, the data can be restored for specific volumes of the LUN. Transportable shadow copies allow greater flexibility for the backup and restore of your critical applications and files by enabling the shadow copy to be imported onto other servers within the same system. You can then use the transported shadow copy volumes for additional tape backups, or for other uses such as data mining and software development testing.

  By default, the shadow copy is deleted after the backup finishes. To retain the shadow copy after the backup, you must also include the "retainshadowcopy" subordinate option.

  Note: When this option is included, the only available backup method is Full Backup.

  • retainshadowcopy

    Specifies to retain a shadow copy after backup. Include this option to specify that CA ARCserve Backup should not delete the shadow copy volume after the backup. Because the shadow copy volume is transportable, retaining it after the backup enables the volume to be imported onto another system for other uses.

• -excludefincludedinthis

  Specifies that files included in this Writer will be excluded from any File System backups. This option prevents files that belong to a Writer component from being backed up by a traditional file system backup. This option offers the following advantages:

  • Avoids backing up files that have already been backed up by VSS.
  • Ensures that fewer files are processed and that traditional backups take less time to complete by excluding files from traditional backups.
  • Helps achieve successful backups by eliminating problems associated with files processed as a group (for example, files associated with a database application). In a traditional backup, there is no mechanism to ensure that the files are processed together.

  Note: This option is not available if the Use Transportable snap-shot option is included.

• -excludefexcludedbythis

  Specifies that files that are specifically excluded by this Writer will be excluded from any File System backups. Include this option to exclude files associated with an application that should never be backed up (the Windows page file, for example) from any file system backups. Each Writer is aware of whether its associated application maintains any such files. This option enables CA ARCserve Backup to use this information when performing traditional backups.

  Note: This option is not available if the Use Transportable snap-shot option is included.

• -erroronceffail

  Specifies that if one or more files of a component of this Writer fail to backup successfully, the entire Writer backup will be terminated. Include this option to cancel the backup of the selected Writer if the backup of any of its components fails. Component backups fail if one or more of the files that are part of the Component cannot be backed up successfully.

  Include this option to ensure that all of the files associated with a Writer are backed up before the backup is considered successful, regardless of how many Components are associated with the Writer.

  Note: This option is not available if the Use Transportable snap-shot option is included.

• -method <FULL|INCR|DIFF|COPY|LOG>

  Specifies the backup method to use for the backup of the selected Writer.

  • FULL

    Specifies to perform a Full backup of all the files associated with the selected Writer, regardless of when the data last changed. When the -transport snap-shot option is included, this is the only backup method available.

  • INCR

    Specifies to perform an Incremental backup of only those files that have changed since the last full or incremental backup was performed. After each backup, the backed up files are marked so that they are not backed up during the next incremental backup job unless they have changed. It takes less time to process backup jobs using this method.

  • DIFF

    Specifies to perform a Differential backup of only those files that have changed since the last full backup was performed. Because differential backup jobs do not mark files as having been backed up, the files that were backed up in the last differential job are backed up again. It takes longer to process backup jobs using this method.

  • COPY

    Specifies to back up all the files included by the Writer, but does not mark the files as having been backed up. Select this option to make a full backup of your data without disrupting any existing incremental or differential backups.

  • LOG

    Specifies to back up only the log files associated with the selected Writer.