HD Backup Programs  by Dave Hooton   ¿? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿? Introduction When it comes to hard disk (HD) backup programs, I have one PD program ABackup 2.40, one commercial Ami-Back 2.0g, and one supplied by Commodore HDBackup 37.8. I wanted to know how a shareware program would stack up against commercial products, as I think most people tend to trust a commercial program when it comes to their valuable hard disk data. Features All programs will backup to floppy disk, hard disk and tape drives, usually in a non-DOS format. However, Ami-Back and ABackup will backup to an AmigaDOS file. These two also allow multiple devices to be backed-up and restored eg. files from HD0: and HD1: can be part of a single backup, which I found to be very useful. All programs create an Index (Log or Catalogue) which has the details of all files backed-up. This allows files to be selectively restored. If the Index is lost or corrupted the complete backup can still be restored. Ami-Back and ABackup allow the Index to be re-created. ABackup always places its Index with the backed-up data. The others require the Index to be stored separately, presumably to decrease the risk of losing it. Unfortunately, they expect you to know which Index goes with which backup! (Note: Although Ami-Back will store the Index on the same floppy if you backup to an AmigaDOS file, you still have to match them). They all offer compression on backup, with ABackup also being able to link to an external program or a special library (XPK). People with one or more large hard drives and a fast processor (68030/040) would want to use this feature. Ami-Back has a scheduler to allow periodic backups. Its real value may not be in performing the backup - unless you have a large capacity tape drive. It can put out a MESSAGE as a reminder. Simply place a command in the startup file. Ami-Back and HDBackup have a Compare feature so you can check the backed-up data with the information on the HD. Good for peace-of-mind! Interface ABackup and HDBackup are the easier to get into as they do not have any mandatory configuration files. Ami-Back has one file associated with backup, and one for restore. I had to tell it to always show me the relevant configuration file before backing-up or restoring. It also has a program configuration that controls the placement of various files, including the Index file! This could conflict with the choice of backup device (in the backup configuration), but Ami-Back always warned me of potential clashes. ABackup and HDBackup have a file requester for initial selection of backup device or directory. Ami-Back provides a crude text string! All have file filters with full AmigaDOS wildcards. Also, choices can be combined with filters for date ranges and file protection bits eg. archive bit on/off. Only HDBackup has a filter for file size. Ami-Back's filters operate only on initial device selection; the others only on secondary selection. After initial selection, all give directory lists from which files may be further selected/deselected - secondary selection. Depending on the initial setup, you may have to deselect unwanted files or select wanted files! All allow traversal up and down the directory tree, with ABackup and HDBackup having a Root gadget in addition to the regular Parent gadget. HDBackup is a pain as you often have to deselect directories one-by-one (they are selected initially). Ami-Back's filters are the least flexible in use because you have to abort(quit!) the backup if you want to change anything! Ami-Back's file filters are also a pain to code as the specification affects the sub-directory names as well - there is little control over recursion. HDBackup's filters affect files only. Again, poor control over recursion. ABackup allows full control over this. More importantly, it can record a filter file for you as you choose from the directory list and filter gadgets!! Not so with the others. You cannot save HDBackup's filters to a configuration file. And it does not recognise '*' when enabled as a wildcard! Backup/Restore Tests The following were conducted on an A1200HD with 81MB disk, 6MB memory (4MB Fast Memory), and WorkBench 3.0. 1. Selective backup of 4 directories, 245 files / 1,752,650 bytes. Backup to floppy disks (NOT AmigaDOS files) from HD. Restore to RAM: ABackup Ami-Back HDBackup Time #Disks++ Time #Disks Time #Disks Backup-Verify 3'06" 3(2.1) 2'48" 2(1.9) 3'08" 4(3.2) Backup-NO Verify 1'41" 3 1'30" 2 N/A Restore 1'41" 3 1'30" 2 1'39" 4 2'33" 4** ++ ABackup would still need 3 disks WITHOUT its Index. ** HDBackup needed extra time to restore when the directory structure did NOT exist! 2. Selective backup of 4 directories, 115 files / 529,063 bytes. Backup to AmigaDOS files on floppy disk from HD. Restore to RAM: ABackup Ami-Back HDBackup Time size++ Time size++ Time size Backup 1'18" 624,250 1'00" 553,700 N/A Restore 0'37" 0'34" ++ size of the created file and Index. Test Comments All programs predict the number of disks required. ABackup is the least reliable as it makes no allowance for its Index. Ami-Back stores approx. 880,000 data bytes/floppy (115 files) to 897,000 data bytes/floppy ( 15 files). ABackup stores approx. 840,000 data bytes/floppy (100 files) to 888,000 data bytes/floppy ( 15 files). HDBackup stores approx. 525,000 data bytes/floppy ( 80 files) to 734,000 data bytes/floppy ( 15 files). Figures will vary depending on the number of files and directories and the length of their names. Ami-Back annoyed by putting up Non-DOS Requesters - but not all the time! It also gave errors on one restore (after aborting a previous attempt) which led to incorrect file sizes. But I may have used the "Skip Existing Files" option, as it correctly restored the same backup afterward. All list no. of files and no. of bytes selected. Only ABackup counts empty directories, but not their size! On restore HDBackup gives no choice over what to do with files that already exist - it will write only if the one being restored is newer. The others had similar choices (3) - Write Always, Write if Newer, or Skip. HDBackup is the only one NOT to give any status on restore eg. % files restored, % disk read. HDBackup could not access its own Index if I requested it to be written as a smaller file than normal (a menu option). It is possible for HDBackup to write your entire HD onto 1 floppy.... just keep clicking in the disk change requester! You can do the same with ABackup, but you have to keep removing the floppy. Only Ami-Back checks the disk name to alert you to the danger! Happily(!), all programs insisted on maintaining proper disk sequence during a restore. Conclusion HDBackup is not as robust as I would like. Ami-Back tends to flirt with Non-DOS requesters. ABackup was quite solid, but only use version 2.40 or later with WorkBench 3.0! All programs will work with WorkBench 2.04. Ami-Back has more useful features than the others - some I have not mentioned above. But it is probably the least user-friendly. In practice, Ami-Back is the safest and the fastest, and the most economical with floppies. ABackup is not far behind. I found HDBackup useful for finding files of a certain size range! The choice of a backup program comes down to the size of your wallet!  ¿? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿*? 35 ¿?