From the Retrospect Express Directory, click the Automate tab. Click Scripts, which brings up the script editing window.
The script editing window.
Click the New button to create a new script. (If no scripts are defined, Retrospect Express first asks whether you want to use EasyScript; click No.) A dialog asks which type of script you want to make.
Enter a name and click New. The script appears in its own window.
You will recognize that this script window is very similar to the immediate backup summary window, with information for the source volumes, destination backup sets, file selection criteria, and options. Schedule is a new addition not found in immediate operations. To change information, click the appropriate button. Sources lets you add or remove source volumes.
Selecting lets you choose a selector, a kind of filter for selecting files and folders to be backed up. Selectors are explained in detail in “Using Selectors,” which starts on page 159.
Options displays the options window in which you can toggle verification and data compression. Options are explained in detail in “Execution Options,” which starts on page 209.
Schedule lets you set the script to run at certain times or at regular intervals. Setting the Source
Because this is a new script, Retrospect Express says “No volumes selected” in the script’s window. Click the Sources button to get a window which lists sources, but is empty at this time since none are chosen yet.
■ NOTE: When no items are chosen, as is the case in a new script, Retrospect Express clicks the Add button for you to take you to the volume selection window.
Click Add to get the Volume Selection window and select a volume. (This is explained in detail in “Working with Volumes,” which starts on page 145.) Click OK to add the volumes to the sources window. If you add more than one volume to the source list, you can drag them to rearrange them in the list. (Volumes will be backed up in the order they appear in the list, from top to bottom.) When the volume or volumes to be backed up are listed in the sources window click OK.
Setting the Destination
Retrospect Express needs to know the backup set to which you are going to back up. Because this is a new script, Retrospect Express says “No backup sets selected” in the script’s window. Click the Destinations button to get a window which lists destinations.
■ NOTE: When no items are chosen, as is the case in a new script, Retrospect Express clicks the Add button for you to take you to the backup set selection window.
If No Backup Sets are Listed Click Add. Retrospect Express brings up the backup set selection window to let you add a backup set. If none are known to Retrospect Express, it automatically clicks the window’s Create New button. If you watch closely, you can see Retrospect Express quickly scan your computer, looking for suitable backup devices before it displays the backup set creation window. Use this window to make a new backup set, as described on page 19 and page 73. You can make Retrospect Express recognize other backup sets by opening them with the More button.
When Backup Sets are Listed Select one or more backup sets. You can have multiple destination backup sets so you can rotate among the sets for more safe and effective backups. When at least one backup set is listed in the destinations window, click OK.
Setting the Criteria
Retrospect Express uses all files as the default criteria for selecting files to be backed up. To change this, click the Selecting button and choose a different selector. Selectors are explained in detail under “Using Selectors,” which starts on page 159. We suggest you use the default selector, All Files.
■ NOTE: Retrospect Express’ All Files selector does not necessarily cause all the source files to be copied to the destination. It merely selects the files and, during a later stage of the incremental backup, Retrospect Express decides whether to copy them based on whether the selected files already exist within the backup set. Selected files not in the backup set are then copied to the destination.
Unlike an immediate backup, you cannot manually mark and unmark files. This is because the script executes later and the volume contents can change between now and then.
Setting the Options
Click the Options button to display the options window in which you can toggle verification and compression, which are explained in detail under “Execution Options,” which starts on page 209. Leave all options at their default settings for now.
Setting the Schedule
If you want to execute this script only upon your command and in your presence, you do not need to schedule it for unattended execution. (Instead, make a run document or run it from the Run menu. For details see
“Executing Scripts,” which starts on page 132.) To set a time for the script to execute, click the Schedule button to get a window with a list of scheduled operations. (But because this is a new script, nothing is scheduled and the list is empty.)
■ NOTE: This section explains adding schedules to scripts. For details on creating the schedules themselves, see “Scheduling Scripts,” which starts on page 125.
Click Add to get a dialog asking which kind of scheduler you want to make.
The backup set combo box is not displayed if only one backup set is specified in the script.
The exact controls in the window depend on the type of schedule, but they are all basically similar and easy to understand. Use the controls to set the schedule. Use the Action combo box to set the backup action to either Normal Backup, Recycle Backup, or New Media Backup, which are explained under “Backup Actions” on page 40. If your script has more than one destination, use the To combo box to set the destination backup set for the scheduled execution. When you have set the various aspects of the schedule, Retrospect Express shows a description of the schedule at the top of the window.
Your newly created schedule is listed and, since it is the only one, is shown as the next to execute. This window also allows you to delete or modify existing schedules, or add more schedules.
■ NOTE: Do not feel obliged to schedule an execution; there are other ways to run scripts, as detailed in
“Executing Scripts,” which starts on page 132. If you want to delete the schedule you just made, go ahead and remove it so it does not intrude at a later time.
This part of the manual only touches on Retrospect Express’ scheduling capabilities. Scheduling is explained in detail in “Scheduling Scripts,” which starts on page 125.
A script summary window.
If you used multiple sources, destinations, and schedulers, a different selector, and changed some options, the summary window could have more elaborate information, such as in the following example.
The script is complete. Click Save from the toolbar to save it. Once saved, the script is ready for execution upon your command or for scheduled automatic execution.