Welcome to SolarSys Notebook Shadow!
Files to Shadow: (Shadow Set)
Backup
examples
Optional
control switches
"/x"
Exclusion flag
Notebook/Server
Co-ordination
Advanced Features
Old Versions
Running
other applications
Total
control over your schedules
Excluding:
& Max size Mb
Excluding
Max size Mb
Default
Shadow Folder
Shadow Volume Name
A note about PD/CD ROM drives
Daily
Schedule
Periodic
Shadowing
Default
Shadow Mode
1 Way Backup
2 Way
Transfer
2 Way
Briefcase
Aggressive Backup Mode
Options
Auto
start
Run minimized
Run on startup
Small files first
Verbose log
Keep log file
Last
Successful Date
Log
Start
Buttons
Start the Shadow timer!
Run Now button
Shadow Folder Preparation
Spec
Builder
Path and file specification
Include sub directories /s
Include in time scheduled runs only /t
Changes and new files only /c
Exclude these files
Old versions to save /v
Weekday /w
Shadow only if file size is less than
Shadow only if shadow volume name is
/n
Alternative Shadow dir /d
Remarks /r
Shadow Mode
Apply button
Validation
Welcome to SolarSys Notebook Shadow!
Probably the most comprehensive fully automated notebook/desktop/server co-ordination
and backup system available on the PC platform.
The help wizard will guide you through the setting up procedure.
Use the Previous and Next buttons to follow the logical sequence.
View help at any time by clicking the toolbar help buttons or pressing F1.
The ? button on the toolbar opens a help form for you to add your own notes and as an
added bonus you can even add your own notes to any of the help screens or translate them
into your own language.
If you click the right mouse button in the help text window, a handy text formatting
toolbar will pop up.
Please distribute the installation diskette or Shadow5.exe, the self extracting compressed
version of the setup diskette (available at http://www.solarsys.co.uk) to your friends and
colleagues.
SolarSys Notebook Shadow has been written to be year 2000 compliant but does require that
your PC's hardware is also compliant.
Files
to Shadow: (Shadow Set)
This window defines the data you want to co-ordinate and/or backup. The Shadow Set
comprises a number of lines where each line represents a file or set of files within a
folder structure. It is strongly recommended that, if your backup and co-ordination
requirements are complex, you construct your Shadow Set one line at a time, performing a
test run after each line is added. If you are shadowing to a network drive then please
discuss your intentions with your network administrator and make sure you have enough
space allocated to you to contain all the files you intend to shadow. If a drive or drive
allocation becomes full then you will get a warning message.
The following examples show how you can construct a Shadow Set for backup and for
co-ordination:
Backup examples
c:\My Documents\*.* /s (where "My Documents" represents your data folder)
h:\*.* /s (where h: represents your folder on the server)
\\Server01\data\*.* /s (shows the use of network notation)
Other examples:
c:\config.sys includes only the specified file.
c:\My Documents\*.doc includes all doc files in c:\My Documents folder only.
c:\My Documents\*.doc /s includes all doc files in c:\My Documents folder and it's sub
folders.
c:\My Documents\*.* /s includes all files in c:\My Documents directory and it's sub
folders.
c:\My Documents\temp\*.* /s/x excludes all files in c:\My Documents\temp and it's sub
folders.
h:\*.* /s /r This line backs up my network "h" drive - note the use of the /r
remark switch.
Use the Spec Builder to help you construct your shadow set.
Optional
control switches:
Use "/s" to include all sub folders.
Use "/c" to include only changes and new files, optionally from a given date.
Use "/t" to include the line only in time scheduled runs.
Use "/t=hh:mm" to run at the specified time.
Use "/w" to run only on the specified week day.
Use "/v" to save the old versions of your files.
Use "/x" to exclude files from shadowing (but see next help screen first).
Use "/d" to specify a different shadow folder to the default.
Use "/backup" or "/2Way" or "/briefcase" to override the
default shadow mode.
Use the "/r" switch to add remarks.
"/x"
Exclusion flag:
Use the /x flag to exclude specific folders or files. For example:
h:\*.*/s /r Backup my network drive
h:\BigFile.dat /x /r Excluding this large mainframe extract file
h:\Temp\*.* /x /r Excluding my Temp sub folder
If you want to completely exclude files of a certain type then don't use /x files, use the
"Excluded File Extensions" feature instead (see the next help screen).
Notebook/Server
Co-ordination
SolarSys Notebook Shadow automatically ensures that the very latest copies of all
files exist on both your network Server and on your Notebook.
To use the co-ordination facility for all your data, use the 2Way Transfer Shadow Mode as
the default. Alternatively, you can use 2Way Transfer Mode on a line by line basis. Use
the spec builder to construct a line similar to the following example:
c:\My Documents\*.* /s /d=\\Server01\c-drive\Solarsys /2Way
As new files are added or existing files amended on either the notebook or the server this
specification will simultaneously replicate these files and folder structures on the other
device.
2Way Transfer replicates all files and folders defined in the specification line. You can
limit the 2 way replication to only those that exist on the Shadow Set ie c:\My
Documents\*.* /s in the above example by using the 2Way Briefcase Mode eg:
c:\My Documents\*.* /s /d=\\Server01\c-drive\Solarsys /Briefcase
Old Versions:
A unique feature is the ability to save old versions of your files. This is
particularly useful if you regularly make changes to the same files. If you make a mistake
you can then retrieve the previous version. Notebook Shadow can store up to 9 old versions
on your source and/or shadow drives. This will get you out of trouble time and time again!
Use the Spec Builder to add this feature to each spec line as required.
Running
other applications:
Notebook Shadow has an additional feature in that it can execute other programs after
a shadow run by using the "/a" switch in a line similar to the following
examples:
/a=notepad.exe,c:\readme.txt
The above line (with an = sign) launches notepad and opens file c:\readme.txt after each
successful run where no warnings occurred.
/a+notepad.exe,c:\readme.txt
The above line (with a + sign) launches notepad and opens file c:\readme.txt after each
run even if there were warnings.
/a#notepad.exe,c:\readme.txt
The above line (with a # sign) launches notepad and opens file c:\readme.txt after each
run only if there were files successfully shadowed during the run.
/a!notepad.exe,c:\readme.txt
The above line (with a ! sign) launches notepad and opens file c:\readme.txt after each
run only if there were warnings during the run.
/a-notepad.exe,c:\readme.txt /t=09:15 /w=Monday
The above line (with a - sign) launches notepad without performing a time scheduled Shadow
run (at 09:15 on Mondays in this example).
Note that /a can optionally pass a document filename as a parameter as long as it is
separated from the application filename by a comma.
Total
control over your schedules
Notebook Shadow is a very flexible scheduler!
You can schedule any backup, co-ordination task or application launch for any minute of
any day of the week by using the "/t=" and "/w=" switches.
/a=c:\delfiles.bat /t=16:45 /w=Friday
This line runs file c:\delfiles.bat at 16:45 on Fridays only (delfiles.bat is a batch file
which deletes files at the end of the week after they have successfully been backed up to
my PD/CD ROM drive).
For the /t= switch your time must be specified in 24 hour notation. For example 09:30 and
21:05 (also note that you must use leading zeros for numbers less than 10 and that the
hours and minutes must be separated by a ":" (colon). The /t=hh:mm switch will
only run at the specified time and will ignore other time scheduled runs. If you have
other spec lines using /t without a specific time then they will run at the normal
scheduled run times and not when your /t=hh:mm run occurs.
For the /w= switch you need only specify the first 3 characters of the day of week. For
example /w=Monday, /w=mon and /W=MON will all work OK.
Excluding: & Max size Mb:
Excluding:
Construct a list of file extensions that you do not want shadowed. Windows
applications often create temporary work files which this feature is designed to filter
out. You can use the * wildcard.
Examples:
~*
tmp
bak
Exclusions only apply to shadow specification lines
which use the *.* wildcard eg.
c:\My Documents\*.* /s
If you need to override the exclusions then use the
following:
c:\My Documents\*.tmp /s /rem explicitly stated extensions are not excluded
c:\My Documents\* /s /rem the * wildcard (instead of *.*) ignores exclusions and shadows
all files
Max size Mb:
To prevent large files from being shadowed use the Max size Mb field and check box.
For example, to prevent files larger than 1.4 megabytes from being shadowed, enter 1.4 in
the Max size Mb field and make sure that the check box is checked. Your change will be
validated and you will be advised of any files that have been excluded. If you uncheck the
check box then the large files will be shadowed at the next run.
You can override this default maximum size on individual lines by using the /m control switch.
For example
c:\My Documents\*.* /s /m=3 /rem will not include any files > 3Mb
Note that the /m control switch does not use the default Max size Mb field's check box.
Default
Shadow Folder:
Enter the default drive and folder you want to use to store your shadow data. This can
be on any drive available to you including network drives, removable disks, re-writable CD
ROM drives etc.
For example:
If your server is drive h: then a good shadow folder would be h:\Shadow
Or, if your server folder is \\Server01\c-drive\MyStuff you could use
\\Server01\c-drive\MyStuff\Shadow
Hint: It is better to use a drive letter if possible as this allows Shadow to get and show
the amount of free disk space.
Use the /d switch in the 'Files to shadow' specification if you need to override the
default shadow folder.
Shadow
Volume Name:
This optional feature is useful if you use SolarSys Notebook Shadow to back up to
removable disks and the amount of data to backup is greater than the capacity of the disk.
You can split your backup across differently named disks (volumes).
For example, to shadow your network files to a volume named "Network" and your
local files to a volume named "Local":
In the "Files to shadow:" window add "/n=Network" to your network
backup specification and add "/n=Local" to your local backup specification
similar to the following examples:
\\Server01\data\*.* /s /n=Network
c:\My Documents\*.* /s /n=Local
Then...
Insert one of your removable disks into it's drive and type "Network" into the
Shadow volume name field then press the Run Now button. Only those shadow specification
lines with /n=Network (and lines with no volume name) will be shadowed.
Insert another removable disk into it's drive and type "Local" into the Shadow
volume name field and press the Run Now button. This time, only those shadow specification
lines with /n=Local (and lines with no volume name) will be shadowed.
Change back to the first disk and notice that it's volume name is shown in the Shadow
volume name field.
You can now use Windows Explorer to delete any local files from the removable disk named
"Network" and any network files from the removable disk named "Local"
to free up space.
A note about PD/CD ROM drives:
If you use a dual purpose drive which allocates two drive letters, one for the
read/write PD disks and another for the read only CD disks then you must minimize or close
Shadow before you use the drive to access a CD ROM. This is because Shadow will poll the
PD drive every couple of seconds waiting for a disk to be re-inserted causing the CD ROM
to be accessed at a much slower rate than usual.
Daily
Schedule:
Click on this field to display the Schedule builder form.
Enter a list of the times you want to backup your data each day of the week.
Enter times using the 24 hour clock eg.:
09:00
13:00
17:00
Will back up at the start of the day, at lunch time and at the end of the day.
You can add as many times as you need.
You don't need to specify any times at all if you use periodic shadowing (see next help
screen).
Periodic
Shadowing:
This feature allows you to specify a time delay from 0 to 60 minutes between shadow
runs.
This is particularly useful if you use your notebook at irregular times each day. If you
specify a delay of 0 then shadowing will be continuous and (almost) instantaneous
providing the most responsive co-ordination and backup strategy.
A note about screen savers:
If you specify a delay of 0 then you may find that your screen saver stops working. This
is because Notebook Shadow is continually checking for changes to the files on disk and
the screen saver program interprets this as "activity" and does not allow the
screen saver to cut in. If you select a delay of 1 minute or more you will find that the
screen saver will work OK.
Default
Shadow Mode:
1 Way Backup will shadow files from your
Shadow Set to the backup device which can be a server, a PD/CD ROM or other optical drive
or a Zip drive etc.
2 Way Transfer will co-ordinate both sets of files allowing you to work on the server files or the notebook files as you wish. SolarSys Notebook Shadow will then copy the latest version over the earlier as appropriate.
2 Way Briefcase is similar to 2Way Transfer except that only files on the source PC are considered for the 2 way process. This enables you to have a large number of files on the server and have a smaller subset of "live" files on the notebook. Any new files created on the notebook will be copied to the server but new files created on the server will not be transferred back.
The default shadow mode can be overriden on specific Shadow Spec lines using the /backup /2way and /briefcase switches.
Aggressive
Backup Mode:
If you use Backup mode then occasionally you may get a warning that the Shadow file is
newer than the Source file. This is because the Shadow file has been changed in some way
and Notebook Shadow will not automatically over write it with an older source file. A
check box will appear, labelled "Grr", next to the 1 Way Backup radio button. To
agressively overwrite the newer shadow file then check this box. if you realise that you
have accidentally changed the Shadow instead of the Source then check the 2 Way Briefcase
Shadow Mode radio button, allow Notebook Shadow to run once then re-check the 1 Way Backup
Shadow Mode radio button.
Options:
Auto start:
Automatically starts SolarSys Notebook Shadow when Windows loads.
Run
minimized:
Runs Notebook Shadow as a button on the task bar. Click the taskbar button to restore
to normal size. This feature must be used in conjunction with Auto start and If switched
on then Auto start will automatically be switched on.
Run on
startup:
Performs a 'scheduled' run on startup and if you use a rewritable PD/CD ROM or Zip
drive etc. for backup, whenever you swap disks.
Small
files first:
Sorts the files so that the smallest get shadowed first.
Verbose log:
Shows more detail in the log window and saves more on the log file. Use sparingly.
Keep log
file:
Keeps a log file in the default shadow folder of all activity. This file can get very
large if left on for long periods and should be deleted regularly. It is best to use it
for analysis purposes only then switch it off. The view button gives you access to the log
file and provides a search facility.
Last
Successful Date:
This shows date and time of the last successful run in which files were shadowed. If
you use the /c switch (changes and new files only) then only files from this date onwards
will be considered for shadowing. If there were any warnings or failures during a run then
this date will not be updated and the offending files will be re-evaluated at the next
run. You can actually change this date yourself. Useful if you are using the /c switch and
want to pick up some older files.
Log:
The log displays a list of all Notebook Shadow activity. You can click on any line to
get more information and you can click the View button in the Options panel to view and
search the complete log file saved on disk. The log file on disk can get very large and it
is a good idea to delete it from time to time.
Start
Buttons:
Start the Shadow timer!
You will be asked to confirm that it is OK to shadow to the default shadow folder
(read the help there).
Your shadow set will then be validated and on your acceptance, shadowing will start.
The very first run will take a few minutes (dependent on the amount of data you are
shadowing). Subsequent runs will be much faster, probably just a few seconds.
If you make a change to the shadow specification, the timer will stop and you must
re-start it with this button.
Once set up, Notebook Shadow runs automatically and requires no manual intervention.
Also use this button to stop shadowing at any time.
Run Now
button:
Press this to perform a full 'scheduled' run at any time. This is useful if you have
backups scheduled for lunch time only and want to run one at a different time.
Shadow
Folder Preparation
The default shadow folder needs to be prepared for shadowing prior to first use. The
preparation process simply places a Shadow.ini file in the folder which is then used to
store the date of the last successful shadow run. The reason for having this manual
preparation is to allow you to use your rewritable PD/CD ROM, optical disk or Zip drive
etc. for both shadowing and other uses. Unprepared disks will not be shadowed to but
prepared disks will be automatically recognised and shadowing will commence.
Spec Builder
Gives you access to the rich set of features available to enable you to construct any
backup or co-ordination task.
Path and file specification:
Defines a folder path and file spec to shadow. Don't forget to click the 'New Line'
button to create a new line. You can search for your folder using the browse button or
drag and drop a folder from Explorer. Use drive letter or network notation as you prefer.
Include sub directories /s:
Include all sub folders of the folder defined in the path and file spec.
Include in time scheduled runs only /t:
This line will be processed at the pre-set scheduled times and not during 'Periodic
Scan' runs. Recommended for folders where the data does not change often.
You can optionally specify a particular time of day (use 24 hour notation). If you do,
then this line will only run at that time and not at any other time.
Changes and new files only /c:
Limits processing to files created on or after the specified 'since' date. Useful if
your data files are mixed with earlier dated EXE files and DLLs etc. which you don't want
to shadow. Also useful for picking up changes to INI files in the windows directory. eg:
c:\windows\*.ini /c /v2,0 will keep 2 old
versions of all ini files allowing you to identify changes.
If you don't specify a 'since' date then the date of the last successful run is used.
Exclude
these files:
This path and file spec will not be processed. Use sparingly as can slow down
processing if a large folder structure is excluded. Best for excluding single files as in:
c:\mydata\*.* /s
c:\mydata\big data extract.dat /x
which will shadow everything in c:\mydata except the big data extract.dat file.
Old
versions to save /v:
This unique feature will get you out of trouble again and again.
When changed files are shadowed the old version is saved in a sub folder of the file's own
folder. The newest old version is stored in a folder named shadow-1 the previous version
to that is stored in shadow-2 up to the maximum of 9 old versions in folder shadow-9. You
can store old versions on the source and/or shadow drives as you wish. Use this facility
for files which you change frequently such as sales proposal spreadsheets and
presentations. If you make a big mistake or don't like the last change you made then you
just go back to a previous version. Wow!
Weekday /w:
Specify to run on a particular day of the week.
Shadow only if file size is less than:
Use this function to set the maximum size of files that can be shadowed.
For example
c:\My Documents\*.* /s /m=3
will exclude any files > 3Mb in the c:\My Documents folder structure.
Shadow only if shadow volume name is /n:
If you backup to removable disks (volumes) you can instruct this line to run only if
the currently mounted disk has a volume name that matches this field .
Lines with no volume name specified will be shadowed to all volumes.
If you check "Private" then this line will be stored on the volume itself and
will only appear when the volume is mounted. You will notice that the prefix becomes /n+
for private lines (instead of /n=).
Alternative Shadow dir /d:
Allows you to override the default shadow folder. Useful if you want to shadow to 2
destinations simultaneously. The following example shadows my desktop PC data to both the
server and to my PD/CD ROM backup drive (d:) using the /d switch.
c:\mydata\*.* /s /d=\\server01\c-drive\shadow\mydata
c:\mydata\*.* /s /d=d:\shadow\mydata
The /d switch does not insert the source's drive letter or network drive into the shadow
folder structure which can be useful.
You will probably need to experiment with this feature to get the desired result. If you
can't find your required folder using the browser (it may not exist yet) then key it in
manually.
Remarks /r:
Add a remark to the end of the line.
Shadow Mode:
Allows you to override the default shadow mode. Use this if you want to, say, backup
all your data by default but do 2 way transfer to co-ordinate a specific folder.
Remember:
To press the 'Apply' button when you have finished or your changes will not be stored.
Validation:
When you re-start the timer your changes will be validated and when the validation run
is completed, Disk Shadow will tell you how many files and how many megabytes of data will
be shadowed at the next run. If you are confident of your changes you can switch the
validation mode off at any time by clicking off the 'Validate spec change' checkbox.
Normal shadowing will resume.