User manual
Table Of Contents
- 1 Introducing Acronis Backup
- 2 Getting started
- 3 Understanding Acronis Backup
- 3.1 Owners
- 3.2 Credentials used in backup plans and tasks
- 3.3 User privileges on a managed machine
- 3.4 List of Acronis services
- 3.5 Full, incremental and differential backups
- 3.6 What does a disk or volume backup store?
- 3.7 Backup and recovery of dynamic volumes (Windows)
- 3.8 Support for Advanced Format (4K-sector) hard disks
- 3.9 Support for UEFI-based machines
- 3.10 Support for Windows 8
- 3.11 Compatibility with encryption software
- 3.12 Support for SNMP
- 4 Backup
- 4.1 Back up now
- 4.2 Creating a backup plan
- 4.2.1 Selecting data to back up
- 4.2.2 Access credentials for source
- 4.2.3 Source files exclusion
- 4.2.4 Backup location selection
- 4.2.5 Access credentials for archive location
- 4.2.6 Backup schemes
- 4.2.7 Archive validation
- 4.2.8 Backup plan's credentials
- 4.2.9 Label (Preserving machine properties in a backup)
- 4.2.10 Sequence of operations in a backup plan
- 4.2.11 Why is the program asking for the password?
- 4.3 Simplified naming of backup files
- 4.3.1 The [DATE] variable
- 4.3.2 Backup splitting and simplified file naming
- 4.3.3 Usage examples
- 4.3.3.1 Example 1. Daily backup replacing the old one
- 4.3.3.2 Example 2. Daily full backups with a date stamp
- 4.3.3.3 Example 3. Hourly backups within a day
- 4.3.3.4 Example 4. Daily full backups with daily drive swaps
- 4.3.3.5 Example 5. Daily backups with weekly drive swaps
- 4.3.3.6 Example 6. Backups within working hours
- 4.4 Scheduling
- 4.5 Replication and retention of backups
- 4.6 How to disable backup cataloging
- 4.7 Default backup options
- 4.7.1 Additional settings
- 4.7.2 Archive protection
- 4.7.3 Backup cataloging
- 4.7.4 Backup performance
- 4.7.5 Backup splitting
- 4.7.6 Compression level
- 4.7.7 Disaster recovery plan (DRP)
- 4.7.8 E-mail notifications
- 4.7.9 Error handling
- 4.7.10 Event tracing
- 4.7.11 Fast incremental/differential backup
- 4.7.12 File-level backup snapshot
- 4.7.13 File-level security
- 4.7.14 Media components
- 4.7.15 Mount points
- 4.7.16 Multi-volume snapshot
- 4.7.17 Pre/Post commands
- 4.7.18 Pre/Post data capture commands
- 4.7.19 Replication/cleanup inactivity time
- 4.7.20 Sector-by-sector backup
- 4.7.21 Task failure handling
- 4.7.22 Task start conditions
- 4.7.23 Volume Shadow Copy Service
- 5 Recovery
- 5.1 Creating a recovery task
- 5.2 Acronis Universal Restore
- 5.3 Recovering BIOS-based systems to UEFI-based and vice versa
- 5.4 Acronis Active Restore
- 5.5 Bootability troubleshooting
- 5.6 Reverting a Windows system to its factory settings
- 5.7 Default recovery options
- 6 Conversion to a virtual machine
- 7 Storing the backed up data
- 8 Operations with archives and backups
- 9 Bootable media
- 10 Disk management
- 10.1 Supported file systems
- 10.2 Basic precautions
- 10.3 Running Acronis Disk Director Lite
- 10.4 Choosing the operating system for disk management
- 10.5 "Disk management" view
- 10.6 Disk operations
- 10.7 Volume operations
- 10.8 Pending operations
- 11 Administering a managed machine
- 11.1 Backup plans and tasks
- 11.2 Log
- 11.3 Alerts
- 11.4 Changing a license
- 11.5 Collecting system information
- 11.6 Adjusting machine options
- 12 Cloud backup
- 12.1 Introduction to Acronis Cloud Backup
- 12.1.1 What is Acronis Cloud Backup?
- 12.1.2 What data can I back up and recover?
- 12.1.3 How long will my backups be kept in the cloud storage?
- 12.1.4 How do I secure my data?
- 12.1.5 Supported operating systems and virtualization products
- 12.1.6 Backup and recovery FAQ
- 12.1.6.1 What backup methods are available?
- 12.1.6.2 What recovery methods are available?
- 12.1.6.3 Is the cloud storage available under Acronis bootable media?
- 12.1.6.4 Can I use Acronis Universal Restore when recovering a system from the cloud storage?
- 12.1.6.5 What if a network connection is lost during cloud backup or recovery?
- 12.1.6.6 What happens if I run out of space?
- 12.1.6.7 What is the cleanup task for?
- 12.1.6.8 How do I make a recovered machine recognize its subscription?
- 12.1.7 Initial Seeding FAQ
- 12.1.7.1 What is Initial Seeding?
- 12.1.7.2 Why would I want to use Initial Seeding?
- 12.1.7.3 Is Initial Seeding a paid service?
- 12.1.7.4 What types of hard drive can I use for Initial Seeding?
- 12.1.7.5 Can I send more than one backup under a single Initial Seeding license?
- 12.1.7.6 Can I send backups taken from a number of machines on a single hard drive?
- 12.1.7.7 How to buy an Initial Seeding license?
- 12.1.7.8 How do I perform initial seeding?
- 12.1.7.9 How to package a hard drive for shipment?
- 12.1.7.10 How do I track an Initial Seeding order status?
- 12.1.8 Large Scale Recovery FAQ
- 12.1.8.1 What is Large Scale Recovery?
- 12.1.8.2 Why would I use Large Scale Recovery?
- 12.1.8.3 Do I need to perform initial seeding to be able to use Large Scale Recovery?
- 12.1.8.4 Is Large Scale Recovery a paid service?
- 12.1.8.5 Can I perform large scale recovery on a different machine?
- 12.1.8.6 Can I obtain backups taken from a number of machines on a single hard drive?
- 12.1.8.7 How to buy a Large Scale Recovery license?
- 12.1.8.8 How do I track a Large Scale Recovery order status?
- 12.1.8.9 How to perform large scale recovery?
- 12.1.9 Subscription lifecycle FAQ
- 12.1.9.1 How do I access my account management webpage?
- 12.1.9.2 Where do I find the subscriptions that I purchased?
- 12.1.9.3 When does my subscription begin?
- 12.1.9.4 What happens when my subscription expires?
- 12.1.9.5 How do I renew a subscription?
- 12.1.9.6 What is the “Group” column for?
- 12.1.9.7 Can I revoke a subscription from a machine?
- 12.1.9.8 Can I cancel my subscription?
- 12.2 Where do I start?
- 12.3 Choosing a subscription
- 12.4 Activating cloud backup subscriptions
- 12.5 Configuring proxy settings
- 12.6 Retrieving files from the cloud storage by using a web browser
- 12.7 Limitations of the cloud storage
- 12.8 Terminology reference
- 12.1 Introduction to Acronis Cloud Backup
- 13 Glossary
- Acronis Active Restore
- Acronis Plug-in for WinPE
- Acronis Secure Zone
- Acronis Startup Recovery Manager (ASRM)
- Acronis Universal Restore
- Activity
- Agent (Acronis Backup Agent)
- Archive
- Backup
- Backup archive (Archive)
- Backup operation
- Backup options
- Backup plan (Plan)
- Backup scheme
- Bootable agent
- Bootable media
- Built-in group
- Cataloging
- Centralized backup plan
- Centralized management
- Centralized task
- Centralized vault
- Cleanup
- Console (Acronis Backup Management Console)
- Consolidation
- Data catalog
- Deduplicating vault
- Deduplication
- Differential backup
- Direct management
- Disaster recovery plan (DRP)
- Disk backup (Image)
- Disk group
- Dynamic disk
- Dynamic group
- Dynamic volume
- Encrypted archive
- Encrypted vault
- Export
- Full backup
- GFS (Grandfather-Father-Son)
- Image
- Incremental backup
- Indexing
- Local backup plan
- Local task
- Logical volume
- Machine
- Managed machine
- Managed vault
- Management server (Acronis Backup Management Server)
- Media builder
- Personal vault
- Plan
- Recovery point
- Registered machine
- Registration
- Replenishable pool
- Replication
- Retention rules
- Single-pass backup
- Static group
- Storage node (Acronis Backup Storage Node)
- Task
- Tower of Hanoi
- Unmanaged vault
- Validation
- Vault
- Virtual machine
- WinPE (Windows Preinstallation Environment)
31 Copyright © Acronis International GmbH, 2002-2014
Storage spaces
In Windows 8, you can combine several physical disks into a storage pool. In this storage pool, you
can create one or more logical disks, called storage spaces. As with ordinary disks, storage spaces can
have volumes.
In Windows 8 and under a bootable media based on WinPE 4 or later, you can back up and recover
storage spaces. To recover a storage space to an ordinary disk or vice versa, use bootable media
based on WinPE 4 or later.
Linux-based bootable media does not recognize storage spaces. It backs up the underlying disks
sector-by-sector. If you recover all of the underlying disks to the original disks, the storage spaces will
be recreated.
3.11 Compatibility with encryption software
Acronis Backup fully retains its functionality when interacting with file-level encryption software.
Disk-level encryption software encrypts data on the fly. This is why data contained in the backup is
not encrypted. Disk-level encryption software often modifies system areas: boot records, or partition
tables, or file system tables. These factors affect disk-level backup and recovery, the ability of the
recovered system to boot and access to Acronis Secure Zone.
Under some conditions, Acronis Backup is compatible with the following disk-level encryption
software:
Microsoft BitLocker Drive Encryption
McAfee Endpoint Encryption
PGP Whole Disk Encryption.
To ensure reliable disk-level recovery, follow the common rules and software-specific
recommendations.
Common installation rule
The strong recommendation is to install the encryption software before installing Acronis Backup.
The way of using Acronis Secure Zone
Acronis Secure Zone must not be encrypted with disk-level encryption. This is the only way to use
Acronis Secure Zone:
1. Install encryption software; then, install Acronis Backup.
2. Create Acronis Secure Zone.
3. Exclude Acronis Secure Zone when encrypting the disk or its volumes.
Common backup rule
You can do a disk-level backup in the operating system. Do not try to back up using bootable media
or Acronis Startup Recovery Manager.
Software-specific recovery procedures
Microsoft BitLocker Drive Encryption
To recover a system that was encrypted by BitLocker:
1. Boot from the bootable media.