Window's file semantics are such that files are usually opened in
exclusive mode, and therefore not available for other processes to read
-- in practice, this means that processes which don't test and account
for the possibility that another process has a file open will simply
hang and wait for the file to be available. In the case of many Windows
system files (e.g., the registry) these files will never be open. So if
one sets up BackupPC/rsync to simply back up all of C:, for example, it
will never finish, because it cannot.
The Windows solution for this is what's known as a "shadow volume."
Effectively it's a dynamic snapshot of the filesystem accessed
independently, that sidesteps Windows file semantics and is used for
most backup solutions that need to deal with files that may be in use by
other processes. BackupPC has a DumpPreUserCmd which can be leveraged
to create the ephemeral volume shadow copy, and DumpPostUserCmd to
delete it.
One implementation of this sort of thing is available in winexe and ssh
flavors here: http://www.michaelstowe.com/backuppc/
On 2021-01-01 15:52, cl...@n7qnm.net wrote:
OK - I'm reasonably good at Linux; but, "know enough to be dangerous"
about Windows. Can you expand a bit?
Thanks!
From: Michael Stowe <michael.st...@member.mensa.org>
Sent: Friday, January 1, 2021 11:32 AM
To: General list for user discussion, questions and support
<backuppc-users@lists.sourceforge.net>
Cc: cl...@n7qnm.net
Subject: Re: [BackupPC-users] Windows (rsyncd) Backup issues
We'll probably need a few more details than that to provide specific
help, but the symptoms you describe are consistent with not running
rsyncd on a shadow volume.
On 2021-01-01 09:02, cl...@n7qnm.net wrote:
Just started (trying to) use rsyncd to back up a Windows 10 laptop.
It's been running for over 18 hours AND has locked my entire C: drive
so I can't do anything else.
Help?
Clay Jackson
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