Backup software à la dropbox (backups differences in file - revisions)

[tomos]

This may well be covered here somewhere but as you can see from the title I'm not sure what to call it

Is there backup software that does revisions but only saves the difference in the file each time (which is what dropbox does)
I know there's synch software that does this but I'm looking for the equivalent of incremental backup on a file basis - without having to save the whole file each time.

Online (dropbox, there may be others that do this) I find too expensive - @ $99 a year I may as well invest in an external harddrive each year and I'll get a lot more space. It may be worthwhile from a convenience point of view. Always good to check out the options though . Ah, I remember something about Jungledisk being able to do this too but I think it may just do synch - very difficult to find any info on their site

[mouser]

are you specifically looking for online backup tools or local ones?

[justice]

Jungledisk does this but you have to pay a small fee for it. And for example Cobian Backup does this if you're looking for local backup.

[tomos]

sorry I was a bit unclear

I really wanted to know in this thread about "local" software possibilities that would do this type of backup -
i.e. copy only the changed parts of files each time they changed and at the same time, offer the possibility to go back to different versions of the file -
(Am I explaining that part clearly ?)


I'm open to online suggestions too though - I just find the fees too high usually (there I'm being unclear again )

Jungledisk does this but you have to pay a small fee for it. And for example Cobian Backup does this if you're looking for local backup.

-justice (March 19, 2009, 11:34 AM)

I believe JD only synches when it does the "Block-level file updates" - see the last couple of posts in your review thread.
I'll ask in Cobian forum - but I dont see any sign that they do what I'm looking for.

[mouser]

just a warning.. backing up only the parts of changed files seems inherently more prone to restorationg problems than backing up entire changed files (which is what i use).  i can see some cases where you might want it, perhaps if you have giant files that change just a little.. but i would think long and hard about it.

[Shades]

Depending on which OS you want to use....for Linux you have a very nice one that can do what you ask....and it ain't RSYNC), the tool is open source and called: BackupPC

At the time I had to choose between this one and Bacula, I went for Bacula because it had the options I required at the time. That one can also do what you want, but is a true pain in the a.. to setup using the standard method, so I will not even try to imagine the misery getting your request done. This was three years ago and both are very actively developed.

[J-Mac]

File Hamster? That saves new revisions any time you save changes to a file - any file that you tell File Hamster to watch.

Jim

[tomos]

thanks for the Linux options Shades - I'm on windows unfortunately!

File Hamster? That saves new revisions any time you save changes to a file - any file that you tell File Hamster to watch.

-J-Mac (March 20, 2009, 02:33 AM)

thanks Jim - I'm using Filehamster and it's great but I'm going to be restarting a job soon with over 1GB of files that I'll want to make regular revisions of -
that's why I was looking for something that would only backup the changes in the file as opposed to the whole file

If I take what you say on board mouser about that type of backup not being so dependable, then maybe I should even avoid dropbox - or have alternative backup of at least the last few versions locally (which I would do anyway)

So (just thinking out loud now :p) options would be something like:-

• Dropbox + small amount of  local versioned backup
• Other online backup with e.g. 100GB* + small amount of  local versioned backup
• Add  large (1TB) drive to my computer & continue with local backup + external drive for off site backups + possibly online most recent versioned backups

ugh .. backup is always an issue - reason I found dc though iirc

* got an offer from Syncplicity for 100GB for $99 for the first year (who knows what it would cost year two?)

[Deozaan]

Isn't that what subversion does? Just store the changes rather than the entire file?

[Shades]

Depends, in default mode (database) storing only the changes would make the most sense...but that would be true for any version control system that uses a database as storage medium.

However, you can set SVN nowadays also in file mode (so it behaves more like CVS) and than the complete file is stored every time. File based version control systems are easier to move/salvage than the ones that use a database.

[cmpm]

You might want to test Mozy.
It does file types.
And just use it for the revisions.

http://mozy.com/

[tomos]

http://mozy.com/

-cmpm (March 21, 2009, 06:57 PM)

it's extremely difficult to find out more info on their website about how exactly they backup the files -
could you clarify what you mean here cmpm ?

It does file types.
And just use it for the revisions.

-cmpm (March 21, 2009, 06:57 PM)

Isn't that what subversion does? Just store the changes rather than the entire file?

-Deozaan (March 21, 2009, 05:35 PM)

I'll have definitely have another look at that then (there was a bit of discussion lately about "that sort of thing" in this Filehamster thread

Depends, in default mode (database) storing only the changes would make the most sense...but that would be true for any version control system that uses a database as storage medium.

-Shades (March 21, 2009, 05:51 PM)

of the top of your head do you know which ones might use "a database as storage medium"

[cmpm]

yeah - let me get a couple of shots
i have syncplicity, dropbox and mozy all on the same comp.
They don't conflict.

[cmpm]

notice in shot 4 it can rename file if it already exists when restoring

in the first shot you can choose the file extensions or type to backup

hope this helps, ask more if you want to

[tomos]

thanks cmpm  -
the "mozy home" option @ $4.95* for unlimited amount of backup - then I could do as many revisions as I wanted (at the moment I'm backing up my backups online so I'm not too worried about their software so long as it works.

*  on the homepage it has a scary asterisk after the price - especially scary cause there's no other asterisk on the page so I've no idea what it signifies (I searched just in case!)
** (only) the pro version offers "Block-level incremental backups ...  Desktop Licenses: $3.95 + $0.50/GB per month

[cmpm]

yeah, online stuff-danger possible

i like the idea of an external hard drive if it's not trouble to transport

[cmpm]

i just use the free 2gb from mozy-i'm sure you figured that out