From mrsoft.network23.com!mrr@galaxia.network23.com Fri Apr 16 09:48:54 1993 Received: from relay1.UU.NET by toadflax.cs.ucdavis.edu (4.1/UCD.CS.2.2) id AA00222; Fri, 16 Apr 93 09:48:48 PDT Received: from spool.uu.net (via localhost.UU.NET) by relay1.UU.NET with SMTP (5.61/UUNET-internet-primary) id AA02689; Fri, 16 Apr 93 12:48:42 -0400 Received: from rayssd.UUCP by spool.uu.net with UUCP/RMAIL (queueing-rmail) id 124658.26940; Fri, 16 Apr 1993 12:46:58 EDT Received: from galaxia by rayssd.ssd.ray.com with UUCP id AA24134 (5.65c/IDA-1.5 for announce@cs.ucdavis.edu); Fri, 16 Apr 1993 10:10:06 -0400 Received: by mrsoft.network23.com (V1.16/Amiga) id AA006cd; Fri, 16 Apr 93 08:31:09 EDT Date: Fri, 16 Apr 93 08:31:09 EDT Message-Id: <9304161231.AA006cc@mrsoft.network23.com> X-Mailer: //\\miga Electronic Mail (AmiElm 1.19) Organization: MRsoftware Reply-To: mrr@mrsoft.network23.com From: mrr@mrsoft.network23.com (Mark R. Rinfret) To: announce@cs.ucdavis.edu Subject: MRBackup Professional 1.14a Status: RO TITLE MRBackup Professional VERSION 1.14a COMPANY MRsoftware 348 Indian Avenue Portsmouth, RI 02871 Voice: (401) 846-7639 BBS: (401) 841-5844 (`bbs', then `new') mrr@mrsoft!network23.com markr@bix.com or topic amiga.vendors/mrsoftware AUTHOR Mark R. Rinfret DESCRIPTION A full-featured hard disk backup program supporting Fast Disk, SCSI Tape and AmigaDOS backup modes. Other features include: - Intuition "3-D" user interface - data compression/decompression - file selection filters and interactive file selection - rich ARexx command set providing access to virtually all MRBackup features and supporting automated backups and restores - built-in file management utilities - supports multiple savesets on a single tape as well as savesets that span multiple tapes - MRTape-Handler included, can be used with other software - integrated AmigaGuide (tm) online help, accessible via the Help key - easy installation via Commodore's Installer program (included) - compatible with AmigaDOS 1.3 through 3.0; dynamically selects AmigaDOS 2.04(+) features when available - non-proprietary backup format (info available to registered customers) - demo available on support BBS, BIX and various FTP sites. NEW FEATURES - enhanced floppy disk management (diskchange tracking), reduced user prompting - greatly improved floppy disk performance - major improvements in program robustness and ability to recover data from damaged savesets. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS - any Amiga running AmigaDOS 1.3 or up (2.04/2.1/3.0 compatible). - will run in 512K, 1MB recommended - hard drive not _specifically_ required, but a good idea :-) PRICE Give the list price or the requested shareware fee, if any. If it is free, say so. MRBackup Professional can be purchased directly from MRsoftware for $25.00 (U.S.). For orders outside the U.S., please add $5.00 for special handling. Send cash, check (U.S. banks only) or money order. Sorry - no VISA/MC at the current time. Current owners of MRBackup Professional who are not registered with MRsoftware (anyone who didn't purchase directly from MRsoftare) can upgrade to the current version of MRBackup by sending their original program disk plus $10.00 to MRsoftware. DISTRIBUTABILITY MRBackup Professional is a commercial program, copyrighted by MRsoftware. The demo version of MRBackup Professional, clearly indicated by a pop-up requester when the program is started, is freely distributable as long as the demo archive is distributed in its entirety. OTHER MRBackup Professional has a wealth of features which are not easily summed up in such a brief format. A three page laser-printed product brochure, giving a more in-depth overview, is available upon request. AND FINALLY ===================================================================== Dan - I've included this "other" MRBackup feature description simply as supplemental information. I don't have ftp access and thus don't have an easy way to post this as a README file to an ftp site. However, if you feel it's worthwhile... Thanks! Mark Rinfret ===================================================================== MRBackup Professional Feature Overview Last Update: 04/16/93 Version: 1.14a Orders: See Ordering Information near the end of this document. MRBackup Professional is a feature-laden hard disk backup program for the Amiga tm family of computers, providing the following features: 7 Employs the Amiga's Intuition graphical user interface. 7 Context-sensitive hypertext help via AmigaGuide tm 7 Employs AmigaDOS speech capability as a very effective attention-getting device (disk changes,error messages, etc.) 7 Operates under AmigaDOS versions 1.3, 2.04 and beyond. 7 Backups may be done to floppy, streaming SCSI tape (including DAT) or sequential file/device. 7 Highly configurable - different "project" settings can be saved to individual files. 7 Provides flexible data compression/decompression with user-tunable compression factor. 7 Supports incremental backups via modification date and/or archive bit testing/setting. 7 Filename "filters" are provided to enhance backup and restore file selection. 7 Rich ARexx command set to provide full or partial control of backups/restores and parameter settings. Scripts can be invoked externally (rx scriptname) or via user- customizable menu entries. 7 Built-in file management utilities. 7 SCSI tape handler included - may be used with other programs. Multiple savesets may be stored on a single tape. Savesets may span multiple tapes. 7 Many more features. MRBackup Pro sports 3 backup modes - AmigaDOS, "Fast Disk" and SCSI Tape. The "Fast Disk" method outputs data as a sequential stream containing embedded structure and error recovery information and enables much higher throughput when using floppy disks as the backup medium. The "Fast Disk" format is also used when writing streaming SCSI tape. Another very special feature of the "Fast Disk" format is that it can be directed to/from a file (local or networked) or any sequential device. If you are fortunate enough to have your Amiga hooked up to a network with a high-capacity file server, you can backup over the network. To the remote filesystem, the backup set just appears to be a stream of bytes. The Amiga-specific file attributes are safely encapsulated in the "Fast Disk" envelope and therefore do not need to be translated into approximations on the remote filesystem (potentially losing or corrupting useful information). [ Note: the Fast Disk format, while custom, is not proprietary. Information describing the Fast Disk structure is available to registered owners of MRBackup Professional upon request. ] When running under AmigaDOS 1.3, MRBackup Professional employs the ARP (Amiga Resource Project) library for its file requester and date manipulation support. When running under AmigaDOS 2.04 and beyond, the Amiga's standard ASL file requester is used. Some users are confused by this, thinking that a full installation of ARP (and replacement of original Amiga programs) is required. This is not the case. It is only necessary to copy the library to your LIBS: directory (done by MRBackup's installation script) and this will IN NO WAY interfere with your other software. MRBackup Professional comes bundled with its own tape handler. Most of the major vendors' tape drives are currently supported (Archive, Sony (DAT), Wangtek, Tandberg, etc.) and I am committed to adding support for any other "standard" drive which can be configured for Amiga use. While SCSI defines, in a general sense, the methods to be used when talking to a tape drive, there is a surprising amount of variability in the capabilities available from the various tape drives and the methods employed to tap those capabilities. The included mrtape-handler builds upon a known common denominator and then fine-tunes itself by interrogating the drive for additional information. MRBackup Pro supports software data compression (LZW method) which will allow more data to be packed onto the backup media. Compression results will vary with the content of the data, but run typically from 35% to 65%. The user can control the degree of compression by selecting the number of bits in the compression codes (12 - 16). Higher code sizes yield more efficient compression but require more memory and time to achieve it. The user interface is fully "Intuitionized", allowing the user to point-and-click when setting just about any option. MRBackup's many features are represented by a series of windows and their "gadgets". Almost all operating parameters may be controlled simply by pointing and clicking with the mouse. The user may load/save custom parameter sets via menu selection or ARexx control. When a backup or restore is initiated, a Status window which reports the progress of the backup or restore and even provides "buttons" to pause/resume or stop the action in progress. MRBackup can be started either from the CLI or the WorkBench. The CLI interface supports several optional command-line parameters. The MRBackup project icon supports several equivalent ToolType entries for establishing MRBackup's initial operating environment. If you wish, MRBackup Pro will talk to you, using the Amiga's built-in speech capability. This may seem silly until you realize that you can leave the room and MRBackup will call you when the next floppy disk is required for a backup or restore or when an error condition requires your intervention. A special Utilities window can be activated via menu selection. This allows you to perform a number of useful functions on individual files or groups of files (copy, delete, rename (move), compress, decompress, set date, etc.). Incremental backups may be performed, using the file modification date or the file "archive bit" (or both) as the criteria for file selection. MRBackup Pro can be directed to set each backed-up file's archive bit, as well. Filter files (text files containing filename patterns - wildcards are supported) can be employed to further refine the set of files selected for backup or to inhibit compression/decompression on certain files. When a backup is started, MRBackup builds a list of all files eligible for backup. This list is presented to you via a special file selection requester which has many features for navigating and "pruning" the list. MRBackup Pro doesn't just copy files to the backup media in the order that they were scanned. All files/directories are output in sorted order or in "native" order, depending upon the user's preference. All file attributes (file creation/modification date, comment, protection word, etc.) are preserved by the backup/restore process. Upon completion of a backup, a "catalog" file describing the backup set is created and stored at a location of your choosing. This can be on a separate floppy disk or in a special location on your hard disk. What if you lose the catalog file? No problem! The Rebuild Catalog command will let you recreate it. A formatted listing of your backup set is generated for you, if you wish. Also, MRBackup will create a log file of the backup or restore process, recording any errors or noteworthy events that occur along the way Upon starting a restore operation, MRBackup Pro reads the previously created catalog and presents the file selection requester to you (or you can ignore the catalog if you're doing a full restore). You may then easily select all, some or only one file to be recovered from the backup set. If you happen to select the last file on the last floppy, you won't have to "wade through" scores of backup disks. MRBackup Pro will simply skip the backup disks on which no files have been selected. MRBackup Pro will not overwrite files which are newer than their backed-up versions unless you enable the "Force Copy" option. MRBackup Pro also sports an ARexx port which allows you to control just about every aspect of its operation from an ARexx script. MRBackup Professional has the best ARexx implementation of any Amiga backup program on the market today. Using a public domain program such as "dcron" or "AmiCron" in conjunction with the appropriate script, you can schedule automatic backups at intervals appropriate for you. This should give you a useful overview of MRBackup Professional's capabilities, though there are many, many more features available and new features are being regularly added. If you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Ordering Information You can obtain a new copy of MRBackup Professional directly from MRsoftware (only) for $25.00. Send only check or money order. Do not send checks drawn on foreign banks (send a postal money order or U.S. currency). For orders outside the continental U.S., please include an additional $5.00 for shipping. To upgrade to the current version of MRBackup Professional from a previous version, send $10.00 and your original program diskette. You will receive a new program diskette and user manual. Free updates (minor changes, bug fixes) will be distributed via BBS's and major networks in the form of "patch" files. Registered MRBackup Shareware users also qualify for the $10.00 update to MRBackup Professional. For orders outside the continental U.S., please add $5.00. Address all orders and inquiries to: MRsoftware Usenet: mrr@mrsoft.network23.com 348 Indian Avenue BIX: markr or amiga.vendors/mrsoftware Portsmouth, RI 02871 Compuserve: 72017,136 (visited infrequently) (401) 846-7639 Thanks for your interest in MRBackup Professional. Mark Rinfret, President, MRsoftware # # Mark R. Rinfret MRsoftware # Certified Amiga Developer 348 Indian Avenue # mrr@mrsoft.network23.com Portsmouth, RI 02871 # galaxia!mrsoft!mrr (401) 846-7639 #