Backups don't backup everything.

[avpman]

Has anyone noticed that that zip backup from within HS (both local and cloud service backups) doesn't contain anything from the base Homeseer folder? As a result, none of my plugins and their config files are being backed up. The folders contained in the backup are:

• Config
• Data
• Html
• Scripts

Nothing from the base HS folder. I understand it's easy to re-install the missing plugins, but not backing up their config files (and all the other HS files in the base folder) is another issue altogether. This doesn't seem right.

[Roger D]

If you backed up the HomeSeer folder itself you'd then have to backup everything contained within it including all the sub folders.

The data in the HomeSeer folder becomes stale in short order if you keep up with updates. If you restored this folder months or years down the road you'd end up with a mixture of revisions for the software. Not a good state to be in. Your backups would also be larger than necessary.

With the number of times you'd have to ever do a full restore it's just easier to download the current software and then restore your data files to it.

Roger D

[avpman]

I'm using the cloud service and I'm getting daily backups. Recently, my sd card crashed and I lost all my plugins and their config files. Fortunately, I had just created an image of the card. The Homeseer folder should still be backed up, with perhaps, an option in the restore to ignore it if necessary. Not having a complete backup as part of the backup routine is shortsighted.

If you backed up the HomeSeer folder itself you'd then have to backup everything contained within it including all the sub folders.

The data in the HomeSeer folder becomes stale in short order if you keep up with updates. If you restored this folder months or years down the road you'd end up with a mixture of revisions for the software. Not a good state to be in. Your backups would also be larger than necessary.

With the number of times you'd have to ever do a full restore it's just easier to download the current software and then restore your data files to it.

Roger D

[ServiceXp]

I'm using the cloud service and I'm getting daily backups. Recently, my sd card crashed and I lost all my plugins and their config files. Fortunately, I had just created an image of the card. The Homeseer folder should still be backed up, with perhaps, an option in the restore to ignore it if necessary. Not having a complete backup as part of the backup routine is shortsighted.

I'm with you, a complete HS folder structure should be the goal. It has saved me several times; makes restoring an entire system a 2 min process. There are several BU Plug-Ins that will accomplish this task very easily.

[Roger D]

"a complete HS folder structure should be the goal."

At that point you might as well just do a cp of /HomeSeer/* for Linux or RoboCopy \HomeSeer\* for Windows users.

it's even faster to restore and no Plug-In required.


"an option in the restore to ignore it if necessary." Doesn't address the versioning issue.

[avpman]

"a complete HS folder structure should be the goal."

At that point you might as well just do a cp of /HomeSeer/* for Linux or RoboCopy \HomeSeer\* for Windows users.

it's even faster to restore and no Plug-In required.


"an option in the restore to ignore it if necessary." Doesn't address the versioning issue.

I am getting daily backups to the cloud. Therein lies the versioning. I "should" be able to restore from any point in time. The paid cloud backup service should include a full (complete) backup. Period.

[Roger D]

What did HST say when you brought this up to them?

[ServiceXp]

"a complete HS folder structure should be the goal."

At that point you might as well just do a cp of /HomeSeer/* for Linux or RoboCopy \HomeSeer\* for Windows users.

it's even faster to restore and no Plug-In required.


"an option in the restore to ignore it if necessary." Doesn't address the versioning issue.

What versioning issues are possible with a full directory backup/restore from daily (or in my case every 4 hrs) restores?

Over the last 7 years, I have done this a bunch of times and not once has there ever been a PI or otherwise versioning issue.

[Uncle Michael]

"a complete HS folder structure should be the goal."
At that point you might as well just do a cp of /HomeSeer/* for Linux or RoboCopy \HomeSeer\* for Windows users.
it's even faster to restore and no Plug-In required.

I was not aware that RoboCopy could copy an open file. BLBackup, for instance, will copy the entire HS directory while HS is running. I do the copy at night automaticallhy with an HS event. The time required to complete the backup has never been an issue.

[Roger D]

Uncle Michael, et al.,

This thread seems to have drifted too far off course.

I did not intend to imply that Windows robocopy could copy an open file as to the best of my knowledge it can not. Just to be clear, One would have to close HomeSeer to perform the copy first.

In the original post the OP was concerned that the "base HS folder" was not being backed up. As I've stated, that alone will cause versioning issues.

It was then switched to "Not having a complete backup as part of the backup routine"

Then backup plug-ins was brought in.

Then we learned that he was using the paid backup service.

I brought up the manual process of copying the files themselves using various built-in OS utilities for which I apologize.

The free BLBackup plug-in was added to the mix along with the time it takes to perform a backup.

Are we able to get back on track to address the OP's opening issue which as I now understand it is...

He's paying for a service that does not do what he thought it was supposed to do which is recovering HomeSeer to a prior operating state after a failure.

Just to be sure I've got this covered. avpman, is that the problem at hand?

If so, what did HST say when it was brought up to them?

[ServiceXp]

IMO, there is no topic drift in this thread. avpman clearly stated (at least to me) HS4's internal local and cloud (which cloud only comes with a paid subscription) doesn't adequately do the job, and he's absolutely correct. I believe he was looking for confirmation of his observations. I'm pretty sure he knows, he'll have to contact HS directly if he wants to effect real change.

As sometimes is the case, there are much better options then the provided HS solutions. Hence the recommendations for simple, fully automated back up solutions.

You continue to state there will be 'versioning issues'. I for one, would love to learn more about these versioning issues that comes from daily back ups.

[avpman]

IMO, there is no topic drift in this thread. avpman clearly stated (at least to me) HS4's internal local and cloud (which cloud only comes with a paid subscription) doesn't adequately do the job, and he's absolutely correct. I believe he was looking for confirmation of his observations. I'm pretty sure he knows, he'll have to contact HS directly if he wants to effect real change.

As sometimes is the case, there are much better options then the provided HS solutions. Hence the recommendations for simple, fully automated back up solutions.

You continue to state there will be 'versioning issues'. I for one, would love to learn more about these versioning issues that comes from daily back ups.

Thank you, ServiceXp . You hit the nail right on the head. HS has been informed.

[Roger D]

ServiceXp

I agree with your statement "As sometimes is the case, there are much better options then the provided HS solutions." We begs the question. Why pay for a service that does not do what you want when there are better and freely available options to be had?

The statement "The HomeSeer folder should still be backed up, with perhaps, an option in the restore to ignore it if necessary." was made. I stand by my statement that only backing up the base HomeSeer folder will cause versioning issues.

My last question was, and still is, what did HST say about the issue? It doesn't seem likely now that I'll get an answer to that question so I'm choosing not to continue this discussion from here.

Regardless, I was attempting to be of some assistance to a post on a forum that is supposed to be about "Get help and ideas from other HomeSeer users." If I have offended anyone then you have my sincere apology as that was not my intent.

Roger D

[avpman]

IMO, there is no topic drift in this thread. avpman clearly stated (at least to me) HS4's internal local and cloud (which cloud only comes with a paid subscription) doesn't adequately do the job, and he's absolutely correct. I believe he was looking for confirmation of his observations. I'm pretty sure he knows, he'll have to contact HS directly if he wants to effect real change.

As sometimes is the case, there are much better options then the provided HS solutions. Hence the recommendations for simple, fully automated back up solutions.

You continue to state there will be 'versioning issues'. I for one, would love to learn more about these versioning issues that comes from daily back ups.

ServiceXp Please see here: https://forums.homeseer.com/forum/ho...backup-warning
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