Isolated Mode / Offline Backups

Traveling with a laptop and a small storage for backup (e.g., a memory stick) - this is the typical user case for this scenario. The storeBackup isolatedMode offers the ideal solution in this use case.

Advantages:

• You can just take incremental backups while not having access to your master backup repository
• You can store these incremental backups on small portable media such as a memory stick.²²
• You have a history of all changes backed up during your travels.
• You can conveniently integrate the incremental backups into your master backup repository when you return

Limitations:

• It is recommended to use configuration files when using storeBackup in isolated mode ²³ (technically, there is no difference with or without configuration files.)
• Naturally, you do not have access to all data in your master backup repository via this method.
• If you want to obtain older files from your master backup repository, you need to access to it (or have somebody send you a file per email or whatever).

Imagine, you have a big backup disk (or raid or whatever) at work or in your home containing your master backup repository. Now you have to go away for a week or so. You want to be able to make backups to your master backup repository while not connected (with good enough performance) (we call them offline backups). You want to use the most convenient storage media possible during your travels. And most importantly - you know you need to integrate your travel backup contents into your master backup repository.²⁴

With storeBackup isolatedMode and a small memory stick, the application initializes your memory stick by copying the meta data from the last backup of your laptop from the master backup. The application will also fine-tune your storeBackup options as needed²⁵. Then you go traveling and make incremental backups on your stick. These backups will normally need only very limited memory to store them because they contain the (compressed) deltas only. When you're back and you have access to your master backup repository, you'll run storeBackupMergeIsolatedBackup.pl which will copy your incremental backups to the right place in the master backup repository, and then storeBackupUpdateBackup.pl will automatically do all the necessary tasks to make space efficient full backups from your incremental ones.²⁶ Naturally, tools from storeBackup will support you in doing this to make these steps easy and reliable.