storeBackupSetupIsolatedMode.pl

storeBackupSetupIsolatedMode.pl is part of the isolated mode / offline backup functionality of storeBackup. It copies the meta data of the last backup from a series of backups to another filesystem (e.g., on a memory stick or small hard disk). It optionally generates a customized version of the storeBackup.pl configuration file.

This can be used to generate incremental backups with storeBackup.pl on media with low capacity, e.g., on a memory stick during a travel - without having access to the central backup repository. Later, you can integrate your local backups into the central backup repository by using storeBackupMergeIsolatedBackup.pl¹⁵to replicate your data and storeBackupUpdateBackup.pl¹⁶ to complete your incremental backups to full space-efficient backups.

For a general description about how to use isolated mode, have a look at isolated mode / offline backups.

Based on configuration file:

    storeBackupSetupIsolatedMode.pl -f configFile -t targetDir
                                [-S series] [-g newConfigFile]
                                [-e explicitBackup] [-v] [-F]

without configuration file:

    storeBackupSetupIsolatedMode.pl -b backupDir -t targetDir
                                [-S series] [-e explicitBackup] [-v] [-F]

--existingConfigFile / -f

original configuration file from storeBackup.pl used for normal backups on local media. In the configuration file, the letters # and ; are used as comment signs. The customization of the configuration will work correct only if the ; is used before unused keywords (like in the generated original version from storeBackup.pl)!
storeBackupSetupIsolatedMode.pl will generate a new key in the newly generated configuration file (see option --generate) called mergeBackupDir= which points to the original backupDir. This entry is ignored by storeBackup.pl and used by storeBackupMergeIsolatedBackup.pl to copy the incremental backups from the local media to the master backup repository.
If you want to setup a new isolated backup (after some time) with the same configuration, you can also use the already generated configuration files as the only parameter. This program will then use your old configuration to copy the meta data from the last existing backup to a (clean) stick.

--targetDir / -t

The new top level backup directory to use by storeBackup.pl on the local media for the incremental backups. This directory must exist.

--backupDir / -b

If you do not want to use a storeBackup.pl configuration file, you can specify the path to your master backup repository with this option.

--series / -S

If more than one series in stored in backupDir directory, you have to specify the series you want to use for your local media.

--generate / -g

Specify the name for the configuration file to generate when the option --existingConfigFile is used. If no name is specified, the name for the new configuration file to make backups on the new media will be isolate- plus the name specified at option --existingConfigFile.

--explicitBackup / -e

Specify the exact backup which has to be copied. Default value is the last backup of the series chosen.

--verbose / -v

Generate verbose messages.

--force / -F

Force usage of last backup (with option lateLinks of storeBackup.pl), even if that last backup of that series has not been completed to a full backup with storeBackupUpdateBackup.pl.