Backing up a large volume of new data can take time if a user's Internet connection is slow. For such cases Backup Manager users have the option to use our seeding function
Seed backup is a self-service operation. End users can perform it all by themselves without the involvement of their service provider.
Once the below requirements have been met, see the following instructions on using the Seed Backup feature:
Terms
- Seed backup
- Any backup session performed while a device is in the seeding mode
- The process of uploading backup data to the cloud in bulk. Seed backups are performed to a temporary storage medium and then transferred to the cloud from a different machine with a high-speed Internet connection (see the scheme below). Also called seeding
- Seeding path - a path to a folder on a temporary storage medium (required by the Backup Manager). This is where a seeding folder is created
- Seeding folder - a directory that is created automatically for seed backup purposes. It contains backup files in a compressed and encrypted format, ready for cloud storage. The folder is titled using the name of the backup device it belongs to
- Seeding mode - the mode that starts as soon as seeding is enabled and ends when a user clicks Complete seeding. In the seeding mode, all backups are performed to the seeding folder (rather than directly to the cloud)
- Post-seeding mode - the mode that starts when a user clicks Complete seeding and ends shortly after seed data is uploaded to the cloud. While in the post-seeding mode, regular cloud backups are available but it is not possible to restore data that has been backed up since the seeding mode started
Options available in the seeding mode:
| Option | What it does | Available | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run seeding | Starts a seed backup session (can be used multiple times) | In the seeding mode | "Backup" tab |
| Disable seeding | Disables the seeding mode (subsequent backups will be performed to the cloud) | In the seeding mode until the first backup is performed | Notification ribbon (all tabs) |
| Complete seeding |
Sets to Backup Manager to the post-seeding mode |
In the seeding mode after the first backup is performed | Notification ribbon (all tabs) |
Requirements
Source machine requirements
The source machine on which the seed folder is created can function on Windows, macOS or Linux (view list of supported versions).
This is the machine whose data needs to be backed up.
Temporary storage medium requirements
Seeding can be performed to any of the following storage media:
- A removable storage device (a USB drive or hard disk)
- A network share or network-attached storage device (NAS)
The user being used for the backup on the device must have both read and write access to the Network Share. If not, the backup will fail with an Access denied error
The removable storage device must operate on a standard file system. A non-standard file system such as HFS can make seeding data unreadable (you will get a warning if this is the case). The following file systems are recommended for removable drives:
- Windows - exFAT, NTFS
- macOS - exFAT
- Linux - exFAT, NTFS
Host machine requirements
The host machine from which you transfer the seeding data to the cloud must run on Windows.
It is possible to upload multiple devices' seed backups at the same time if the host machine's disk and internet can handle the increased load.
Optional Preparatory setup
If you plan to use the LocalSpeedVault with the device, consider enabling the feature prior to starting your initial seed. This will help prevent data seeded to the cloud from later having to be downloaded and synchronized to the LocalSpeedVault.
Care must be taken when transferring the seeding folder to the cloud (see step 3 of the instructions). Some users specify a path to the LocalSpeedVault directory instead, which results in errors.
If in doubt, you can differentiate the LocalSpeedVault from the seeding directory by its name. Both of them are titled using the device name, but the LocalSpeedVault directory also has an ID attached. To avoid confusion, configure unique paths such as these:
x:\localspeedvault\andy:\seed\(local)\\server\backup\speedvaultand\\server\backup\seed\(network)
Troubleshooting
If missing or corrupt data is identified on the seed drive, you may receive an error message offering you to invalidate the missing data. This is done by adding the -invalidate-missing-data parameter to the seeds.upload command.
C:\Users\Administrator\Downloads\mxb-st-windows-x64>ServerTool.exe seeds.upload -path F:\Seed\sony-vaio-hdqtrs -threadscount 3 -invalidate-missing-data
Missing data invalidation is a destructive operation and should only be done if you understand why the data is missing and the risks that can occur. Consulting technical support is recommended.
If a seed upload or download is interrupted and restarted, the seed will pick up where it left off after a scan is ran of the data.