Consolidating Backup Image Files

The ImageManagerⁱ consolidation service lets you periodically merge Incrementalⁱ backup image files into a consolidated file. Doing this reduces the time to restore and lets you reduce the size of the file chain necessary to restore a system. Fewer files means fewer opportunities for file failure.

ImageManager provides the following types of consolidated files:

• Daily Consolidated Files: At the end of each day, ImageManager can roll-up all Incremental backup image files created during that day into a single point-in-time Incremental image file that contains all updates made to the system that day. Daily consolidated files include a -cd in the file name. For example: D_VOL-b001-i005-cd.spi.
• Weekly Consolidated Files: At the end of each week, ImageManager can roll-up all Daily Consolidated files created during that week into a single point-in-time Incremental image file that contains all updates made to the system that week. Weekly consolidated files include a -cw in the file name. For example: D_VOL-b001-i026-cw.spi.
• Monthly Consolidated Files: At the end of each month, ImageManager can roll-up all Weekly Consolidated files created during that month into a single point-in-time Incremental image file that contains all updates made to the system that month. Monthly consolidated files include a -cm in the file name. For example: D_VOL-b001-i097-cm.spi.
  

  ImageManager retains the Monthly Consolidated files permanently.as part of the backup chain.

Configure Consolidation Settings

The retention policies you configure using ImageManager are different from the retention policies set in ShadowProtecti. The policies set in ShadowProtect apply only to weekly or monthly backup jobs, not to continuous incremental jobs. While you define both types of jobs in ShadowProtect, ImageManager handles the retention policies for the continuous incremental ones.

To configure the consolidation service:

1. In the ImageManager console, select the ImageManager agent and managed folder.
2. In the Configuration pane, select Consolidation Settings.
3. Select Enable image file consolidation for this managed folder.
   This option is selected by default. This means that once you add a managed folder to ImageManager, the Consolidation service automatically begins to monitor the folder.
4. Next, configure the consolidation schedule:
   

   Weekly Consolidation	(Default: Saturday) Specifies the effective end of the week for the purpose of creating a Consolidated Weekly backup image file.
   Monthly Consolidation	(Default: the 31st day of the month) Specifies the effective end of the month for the purpose of creating a Consolidated Monthly backup image file. You can select a specific date, or a relative day of the week in the month (for example, the last Friday, or the fourth Monday).

5. Click Save.

ImageManager saves your consolidation settings. You can now configure your retention policy settings.