Hi I have a scenario where I'm using freefilesync as a backup tool due to it's ability to sapan multiple different types of fileservers etc.
I have sveral fielservers each with more than 20 shares but these folders change or or get added to removed on a smei regular basis . My questionis is there any way I can get free filesync to look at the root of a host and then compare the shares rather than having to always create folder pairs.
i.e if on fileserver1 i have folders folder1, folder2 and folder3 is there any way I can point freefilesync at fileserver1 and it then creates sub folders to match the shares.
I could create a script of program to do this but I'd rather not reinvent the wheel if I don't have to and I have a lot of faith in freefielsync as a reliable backup solutiuon.
Mutiple shares as one group
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- Joined: 9 Mar 2020
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- Joined: 22 Aug 2012
In FFS you can define the base-folders of your left-right folder pair(s) freely.
Those base-folders may refer to the root of a (network)drive or to a (sub)folder of a (network)drive.
So, as per your example, you may refer to (the root of) fileserver1 as one of your your base locations.
FFS will then duplicate the folder structure existing in (e.g.) your left base location to your right base location (as far as necessary for syncing files), to the extent it does not exist yet.
So, you do not need to explicitly specify each (sub)folder pair.
If not all (sub)folders in a specified base location need to be synced, you may use the Include filter to specify (sub)folders and their content that are to be included in the sync, or leave the Include filter set at * (all files in all (sub)folders) and use the Exclude filter to specifically exclude certain (sub)folders and their content. Which of the two is preferred may depend on your use-case.
As far as multiple network resources are included in the FFS sync, you can use multiple left-right base locations pairs.
In such case, you may need to use local Include and/or Exclude filter settings (via the red funnel-icon in between the left-right base folder pairs).
Those base-folders may refer to the root of a (network)drive or to a (sub)folder of a (network)drive.
So, as per your example, you may refer to (the root of) fileserver1 as one of your your base locations.
FFS will then duplicate the folder structure existing in (e.g.) your left base location to your right base location (as far as necessary for syncing files), to the extent it does not exist yet.
So, you do not need to explicitly specify each (sub)folder pair.
If not all (sub)folders in a specified base location need to be synced, you may use the Include filter to specify (sub)folders and their content that are to be included in the sync, or leave the Include filter set at * (all files in all (sub)folders) and use the Exclude filter to specifically exclude certain (sub)folders and their content. Which of the two is preferred may depend on your use-case.
As far as multiple network resources are included in the FFS sync, you can use multiple left-right base locations pairs.
In such case, you may need to use local Include and/or Exclude filter settings (via the red funnel-icon in between the left-right base folder pairs).
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- Joined: 9 Mar 2020
Hi Thanks for your quick reply, That'd be great unfortunately I can't seem to get it working if I try and browse to the root folder, so if I enter in my example:
\\FILESERVER1
I get an error from ffs saying it cannot be used with FFS
Please select a folder on a local filesytem, network or an MTP device
If I manually enter the path and then do a comparison FFS lists the exisitng backup folders and files as needing to be removed.
I'm running version 10.2 on windows 10
\\FILESERVER1
I get an error from ffs saying it cannot be used with FFS
Please select a folder on a local filesytem, network or an MTP device
If I manually enter the path and then do a comparison FFS lists the exisitng backup folders and files as needing to be removed.
I'm running version 10.2 on windows 10
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- Joined: 22 Aug 2012
OK, if your fileserver is a NAS, this may not directly work.
NASs often require shares (~= root-level folders) to be created via the management console.
You should be able to solve that by (manually) creating a share (e.g. MyBackup) and define your (right?) base location as \\FILESERVER1\MyBackup. FFS should then gladly create the folders folders folder1, folder2 and folder3 (with any subfolders) in the \\FILESERVER1\MyBackup folder.
NASs often require shares (~= root-level folders) to be created via the management console.
You should be able to solve that by (manually) creating a share (e.g. MyBackup) and define your (right?) base location as \\FILESERVER1\MyBackup. FFS should then gladly create the folders folders folder1, folder2 and folder3 (with any subfolders) in the \\FILESERVER1\MyBackup folder.
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- Joined: 9 Mar 2020
Ah that makes sense I'll look into it, thanks
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- Joined: 9 Mar 2020
Still couldn't get the windows CIFs shares working from root but the adding a share at root level of NAS worked perfectly, so I did the same thing for WIndows shares.
The windows file server is due for upgrade in the near future anyway so will look at this again then but thanks very much for your help, my backup infrastructure is now much less onerous :)
The windows file server is due for upgrade in the near future anyway so will look at this again then but thanks very much for your help, my backup infrastructure is now much less onerous :)
