                         Backup Advisor

                               by

                       Hillside Computing

            Copyright (C)  1992  Robert S. DeWick, Sr

                        COPYRIGHT NOTICE:

        This software package (BACKAD.EXE) and document are:
        
                       Copyright (C) 1992
                      Robert S. DeWick, Sr.
                       Hillside Computing
                        118 Everett Road
                    Knoxville, TN 37922-0901
                      All rights reserved 


        You have my permission to use this program for 30 days. 
At the end of 30 days you must either register the program or
delete from your system.  You may make copies of the program and
this document for distribution.   You may give such copies to
anyone; and distribute the software and documentation via
electronic means.  There is no charge for any of the above.  See
the order form at the end of this file for registration
information.

        You are specifically prohibited from charging, or
requesting donations, for any such copies, however made; and
from distributing the software and/or documentation with
commercial products without prior permission in writing from the
copyright owner.

        No copy of the software may be distributed without this
document; and the contents of the document must not be altered.

                           DISCLAIMER

        Hillside Computing makes no warranties as to the contents
of this manual and specifically disclaims any implied warranties
of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. 
Hillside Computing further reserves the right to make changes to
the specifications of the program and contents of the manual
without obligation to notify any person or organization of such
changes.  By using this free software, you agree to this.













           This program is dedicated to the memory of

                Joseph F. Dettorre

                        ...he was my friend.

Acknowledgments:

        Ted Douglas, Pat Bisese and Bill Eddy, who fearlessly and
with fortitude tested this program on their own computers, thank
you for the help and many suggestions for improvements, both to
the software and this manual.

        Backup Advisor and Hillside Computing are trademarks of
Hillside Computing.  All other brand and trade names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

                      WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS

        Backup Advisor is designed to advise the user when the
hard disk drive or drives on the computer should be backed up. 
The program does three things for the user.  It counts and sums
the file size of all of the files that have changed on the drive
since it was last backed up.  It estimates a probability of the
drive failing, if so desired.  If the threshold level is
exceeded the program creates a file containing the list of the
directories where the changed files can be found.

                    WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS NOT

        It is not a backup program.  There are many good backup
programs in the marketplace.  The user must, however, use a
backup program that resets the DOS archive flag.

                   HOW TO INSTALL THE PROGRAM

        This program does not come with an installation program
or batch file.  However, it is easy to install.  Simply insert
the distribution disk into a floppy drive, and copy the program
to the hard disk drive.  The program is quite small and can be
copied to the root directory or to a subdirectory.

The command to do this might be:

        copy a:ba.exe c:\
or 
        copy a:ba.exe c:\back\

                 WHERE IT CAN AND SHOULD BE USED

        Backup Advisor is intended to be used on IBM and IBM
compatible computers, running any version of MS-DOS or PC-DOS. 
The computer must have a hard disk drive, since the program is
designed to examine those kinds of devices.  The program is
quite small so that memory requirements are not an issue.  If
the computer has more than sixty-four kilo bytes of memory it
will execute quite nicely.

        The program can be invoked from the DOS command line or
be included in a batch file.  The best place to invoke this
program would be the last line of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.  It has
four input parameters; three of them are optional.  The
invocation and parameters are:

                   HOW TO EXECUTE THE PROGRAM

        NOTE:  The [] brackets indicate optional parameters and
               are not required nor are they desirable on the
               command line.

        BA -d:d [-t:nn [-i:mm/dd/yy [ -m:nnnnnn]]]

                where:

                -d:d

is a required parameter.  This parameter tells the program which
drive to examine.  Thus, if there is more than one drive or the
drive has been partitioned into two or more logical drives it can
be examined by additional invocations of the program.  The "-d:"
is the parameter or switch identifier.  The second "d" is the
letter of the drive to be examined.  An example is:

                BA -d:c

this will examine drive C: and display the results.  There is no
default value.  This switch must be used.

                -t:nn

is an optional parameter.  It specifies the threshold level in
percent.  The allowed range is 1 to 30 percent.  The default for
this switch is 10 percent.  If this range is exceeded, the
program uses the default value.  The threshold level is the point
where the program displays a warning to the user that the drive
should be backed up.  The "-t:" is the switch identifier, and
"nn" is the new threshold in percent. An example is:

                BA -d:c -t:15

will examine drive C:  with a new threshold of 15 percent.  This
calculation is based on the space used on the volume, not the
total space on the volume.  The formula used is:

                volume of files changed / volume used * 100.

There is further discussion of thresholds later in this
document.

                -i:mm/dd/yy

is an optional parameter.  This is the install date of the drive
in the system, if the drive has failed and been replaced.  If it
has not, then use the purchase date of the system.  This switch
also invokes the calculation and display of  an estimated
probability of the drive failing.  This calculation assumes that
the computer is used for eight hours per day for five working
days.  The formula used is:

                (number of working days * 8) / mean time before
                failure.

The "-i:" is the switch identifier, "mm/dd/yy" is the date of
installation.  An example is:

                BA -d:c -i:06/09/92.

There is no default value for this switch.

                -m:nnnnnn

is an optional parameter.  This is the "mean time before failure"
of your drive.  The "-m:" is the switch identifier, and the
"nnnnnn" is the "mtbf specification" of the drive.  Somewhere in
the literature that came with the computer there should be a
specification sheet for the drive.  If it cannot be found, do not
panic!  Most drive manufacturers these days specify their drives
at 40,000 hours.  That is the default value chosen for this
program.  This doesn't sound like a lot, does it?  Consider, if
the system runs for 8 hours per day for 5 days per week this
works out to be slighty more than 19 years of service.  An
example of the invocation is:

                BA -d:c -i:06/09/92 -m:50000

this will examine drive C: with an install date of 06/09/92 and a
mean time before failure of 50,000 hours.


        Note:  The order of appearance of the switches on the
               command line is not important.  It is important
               that the "-d:" switch be used!

THE OUTPUT FILE

        If the theshold level is exceeded Backup Acvisor creates
an output file.  The name of the file is "BA_CHNGD.LOG".  The
file, when it is created, can be found in the "root" directory. 
This file is a list of the directories that contain the changed
files.  The file looks similar to the following:

	\DATA\MORE_DATA\AND_MORE\
	\DATA\MORE_DATA\
	\DATA\
	\MYDIR\ANOTHER\
	\MYDIR\

Each one of these directories will contain one or more changed
files.

        This file may be viewed with any text editor.  Also, the
file may be printed using the DOS "PRINT" command or the "COPY"
command.  See the DOS manual for more information on how to use
these commands.  An example of each is:

	print \ba_chngd.log <enter>

	copy \ba_chngd.log prn: <enter>

                       FURTHER DISCUSSIONS

Threshold level

        The threshold level should be chosen so that, in case of
drive failure, the amount of data lost will be minimized.  For
instance, assume a 200 mega byte drive that has 75 percent or
150 mega bytes of that volume used.  The default threshold of 10
percent will yield a volume of 15 mega bytes of changed files on
the drive before the program would warn the user to back up the
data.  If the files that have been changed or added to the drive
are business or professional correspondence, this could be 100
or more files.

        It is recommended that Backup Advisor be used for a few
weeks, while observing the values of the space used and the
space that has changed, and how often Backup Advisor indicates
that a backup should be done.  Consideration of the type of data
that is processed on the computer, and these values, should give
a good "feel" for the threshold level that best satisfies the
user's requirements.

Mean time before failure

        The "mean time before failure" for any device is the
manufacturer's estimate of how long the device will survive in
an environment where it is ideal for that device to be
operated.  As I write these words I realize that I have peaked
the ire of manufacturers and marketing types the world over. 
This specification is used for all types of products, not just
computer hardware.  It is generally useful for marketing types
to flaunt their product in front of other marketing types. 
Cynical, absolutely; however the number does give an indication
of products reasonable and useful life time.

        If the drive specification sheet for the drive cannot be
found or the mean time before failure is not on it, there are a
couple of alternatives.  The first thing to do is call the
vendor who supplied the computer.  Vendors should be happy to
support their customers!  The second is to inquire of the drive
manufacturer, and ask them.  Their marketing department will be
pleased to taut their products.

        Please note that on the registration form included with
this product there is a place to insert the drive manufacturer,
the model number and mtbf.  If they are included when the
product is registered, we will compile a listing of them and
incorporate it in future releases of Backup Advisor.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

        If in the unlikely event Backup Advisor does not
perform, we would appreciate knowing about it.  If you have
dutifully registered Backup Advisor, we will be happy to help,
otherwise,......  For the near term phone support will have to
be restricted to the time period of:

        6:00 pm to 10:pm, Monday through Friday, in the Eastern
        time zone

                         (615) 966-6157

or by mail:

                       Hillside Computing
                       118 Everett Road
                       Knoxville, TN  37922

                           ORDER FORM

        Please print or type this form, or fill it in on your
computer and print it.  Wouldn't that be interesting!  Again,
for the near term I can not accept credit card orders, because I
am not set up for it, that's way.  I will, however, accept
personel checks, money orders or cashers check.  COD orders will
be accepted.  If you just can't wait to get this software, phone
orders will be accepted from 6:00 pm to 10:pm, Monday through
Friday, in the Eastern time zone at:

                         (615) 966-6157



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