Back Up Your Data Automatically
Before you set up automatic backups, you must:
- Install PDS on the computer or server that stores the data.
- Make sure that the computer or server is powered on at the time when the automatic backup is scheduled to run.
- Close all PDS programs installed on other computers.
- Enter your email address in the License Information window. If the program can't complete the automatic backup process, you receive an email notification.
- Optional: Set up a Windows® scheduled task to run your backups after hours.
With the Automatic Backup feature, you can set your PDS program to automatically perform backups on selected days.
Tip: If you use OnDemand, your backups are automatically made each night and stored on the OnDemand server, so you do not need to schedule automatic backups.
CAUTION: The Automatic Backup feature is not a substitute for manual backups. We recommend creating manual backup files of your data regularly.
Backup Options
You can select a level of protection for your internal archive files.
The Minimum Option
If you select the Minimum option, one backup file is stored in each internal archive folder.
| Folder Name | Minimum Number of Backup Files in Each Folder | Amount of Time Before Backup is Discarded or Moved |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 1 backup file | 7 days |
| Monthly | 1 backup file | 30 days |
| Quarterly | 1 backup file | 90 days |
| Yearly | 1 backup file | 365 days |
The Moderate Option
If you select the Moderate option, several backup files are stored in each internal archive folder.
| Folder Name | Minimum Number of Backup Files in Each Folder | Amount of Time Before Backup is Discarded or Moved |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 5 backup files | 21 days |
| Monthly | 2 backup files | 60 days |
| Quarterly | 3 backup files | 270 days |
| Yearly | 3 backup files | 1,095 days |
The Maximum Option
If you select the Maximum option, the maximum number of backup files are stored in each internal archive folder.
| Folder Name | Minimum Number of Backup Files in Each Folder | Amount of Time Before Backup is Discarded or Moved |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 10 backup files | 28 days |
| Monthly | 4 backup files | 90 days |
| Quarterly | 6 backup files | 360 days |
| Yearly | 7 backup files | 2,555 days |