Specify time when a client backup should happen?

[oj88]

Here's a scenario.

 

I fire up my laptop and work on it for say, 3-4 hours. When done, I save all my work and get ready to pack it in. But then I find out that the client backup has just started and I had to wait for it to finish. Annoying when you're in a hurry. Funny thing is, for the 3-4 hours the client was up, the server wasn't busy at anything.

 

Now, is there a way to influence the time for certain clients to begin the backup process? Or is there a registry key that defines how often Client Backup does its queries or how it decides when a certain client needs to initiate the backup?

 

FWIW, sometimes the clients starts the backup process almost immediately after boot-up, but most of the time, they start at almost random times. I have also enabled client backups to occur 'round-the-clock from 3AM to 2AM.

 

Any help is appreciated.

[jmwills]

Run it as a scheduled task at startup.

[ikon]

OK, you have your client backups scheduled to start at 3AM. Do you also put your clients to Sleep (instead of ShutDown) so they can wake up to back up? Also, do you have 'allow client to wake up' enabled?

[oj88]

@jmwills.

 

Thanks, but a bit more detail would be nice. For one, is this done on the client side or the server side?

 

@ikon.

 

We seldom put clients on standby. They're either running or totally powered down.

 

Ideally, what I'd like to 'tell' WHS2011 is to start the backup about 5 minutes after the client has booted up, or something to that effect.

[Drashna Jaelre]

Client side. Check the task scheduler, there should be existing tasks. just copy it.

 

 

And that would be why. I honestly don't understand why people don't use standby. 

That is, unless it has issues doing so. Aside from that, it's worth learning to use "powercfg" commands to get the system to sleep and stay asleep correctly. ('/lastwake', and '/requests' come to mind).

 

Barring that, set up that scheduled task.

FYI, the commands are:

Program to run: "C:\Windows\System32\Essentials\RunTask.exe"

Arguements to use: /asm:"C:\Windows\System32\Essentials\BackupClientProvider.dll" /class:Microsoft.WindowsServerSolutions.DataProtection.PCBackup.ObjectModel.PCBackupClientManager /method:DoScheduledBackup /task:"Client Computer Backup"

 

 

That's pulled directly from my desktop. So it should work. Set the task to run at startup or login, and you should be good.

Also, modifying the backup window to be at a time that you will have the systems on is the best solution if you won't use standby.

[ikon]

Like Drashna, I feel the best way to use the backup feature is to put the clients to Sleep and let the backups take place automatically. It's reliable, doesn't interfere with actual use of the computers the way backing up just after reboot does, it's secure, and the Client Computers can be scheduled to go to Sleep.

[oj88]

@Drashna

 

Thanks for the tip. I think I found the exact entry in Task Scheduler. Apparently, the laptop I'm using now is set to trigger the backup at 5:31AM daily. Not sure how it came up with that but I have changed it to the following. Does it make sense, what I did?

 

 

I have my reasons for completely shutting down computers (and unplugging them), rather than putting them to sleep.

[jmwills]

I see no need to put the clients to sleep in order to backup if the NIC can perform the task to wake them up.  Your revised settings should be fine.

[ikon]

Wow, you unplug them? I've never heard of anyone going that far for security. Interesting. But hey, your reasons are your reasons and, if they make sense to you, it's not my place to dispute them.

[jmwills]

I'd turn off the modem before going through all of that.