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With the Automatic Backup feature, you can set your PDS program to automatically perform backups on selected days.

Tip

If you use OnDemand , your backups are automatically made each night and stored on the OnDemand server, so you do not need to schedule automatic backups.


Before you set up automatic backups, you must:

  • Install PDS on the computer or server that stores the data.
  • Make sure that the computer or server is powered on at the time when the automatic backup is scheduled to run.
  • Close all PDS programs installed on other computers.
  • Enter your email address in the License Information window. If the program can't complete the automatic backup process, you receive an email notification.
      

The Automatic Backup feature is not a substitute for manual backups. We recommend creating manual backup files of your data regularly.

Scheduling Automatic Backups During Off-Hours

If you want to run your backups after midnight on the scheduled backup day, you can set up a Windows® scheduled task. This isn't required, but otherwise the PDS Automatic Backup feature can only run when you open your program on the scheduled backup day.

If you create backup files for multiple PDS programs, you must schedule a task for each program. Make sure that the start time for each program is at least 15 minutes apart from any other previously scheduled task start time. If your PDS program is installed on a network, you must use the shared network name.

Useful Information

The following procedure is for Microsoft® Windows 10® users. For information on creating a scheduled task in earlier versions of Windows, see the help documentation for your version.

 To create a scheduled task
  1. Locate the Task Scheduler on your computer.
  2. In the Task Scheduler window, click Create Basic Task.
  3. In the Create Basic Task Wizard, enter a name for the scheduled task, and click Next.
  4. In the Task Trigger window, select how frequently you want to create automatic backups, and click Next.
  5. If necessary, select the time, day, or month when you want the update to occur, and click Next.
  6. In the Action window, select Start a program, and click Next.

  7. In the Start a Program window, click Browse, select the PDS program you want, and click Open. The program path displays in the Program/script field, and should have an .exe extension.

    Useful Information

    If the information does not display in the Program/script field, right-click the PDS desktop icon, and click Properties. Copy the information that displays in the Target field and paste it in the Program/script field of Windows Scheduler. At the end of the text, enter "DOBACKUP".

  8. In the Add arguments field, enter "BACKUP". Click Next.
  9. Review the information, and click Finish.

Scheduling Automatic Backup in PDS

Once you create a scheduled task in Windows, you must set an automatic backup schedule in your PDS program. You can also set up the Automatic Backup process to run without scheduling a Windows scheduled task.

  

 To schedule an automatic backup
  1. On the File menu, click Backup/Restore > Backup Options.
  2. Select the day(s) of the week that you want an automatic backup to run.
  3. To select the internal archive folder where you store the automatic backup, click Browse. To use the default backup folder, leave this field blank.

  4. If your internal archive folder is on another computer, enter the UNC reference to it.

    Useful Information

    This prevents problems for multiple workstations using different drive letters to access the shared folder. For example, enter "\\ServerName\ShareName" instead of "F:\Backup".

  5. Select a level of protection for your internal archive files. See more about these options below.
  6. Click Close.

About the Minimum Option

If you select the Minimum option, one backup file is stored in each internal archive folder.

Folder Name

Minimum Number of Backup Files in Each Folder

Amount of Time Before Backup is Discarded or Moved

Weekly

1 backup file

7 days

Monthly

1 backup file

30 days

Quarterly

1 backup file

90 days

Yearly

1 backup file

365 days

About the Moderate Option

If you select the Moderate option, several backup files are stored in each internal archive folder.

Folder Name

Minimum Number of Backup Files in Each Folder

Amount of Time Before Backups are Discarded or Moved

Weekly

5 backup files

21 days

Monthly

2 backup files

60 days

Quarterly

3 backup files

270 days

Yearly

3 backup files

1095 days

About the Maximum Option

If you select the Maximum option, the maximum number of backup files are stored in each internal archive folder.

Folder Name

Minimum Number of Backup Files in Each Folder

Amount of Time Before Backups are Discarded or Moved

Weekly

10 backup files

28 days

Monthly

4 backup files

90 days

Quarterly

6 backup files

360 days

Yearly

7 backup files

2555 days




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