VMBACKUP On-Line Manual.
(C)1993 Vinnie Murdico.
All rights reserved.

Version 3.0
(C)1994  Vinnie Murdico
All Rights Reserved.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
(C) 1994  Vinnie Murdico.
All Rights Reserved.


By using this software you acknowledge the following:

The program is supplied "as is."  The author disclaims all
warranties, expressed or implied.  The author assumes no
liability for any damages, either direct or consequential, which
may result from the use of this software product.  No part of
this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any
means without the prior consent of the author.  

IBM PC, XT, AT and PC-DOS are registered trademarks of IBM
Corporation.

MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

VMBACKUP

Version 3.0

                                

OVERVIEW                        

VMBACKUP is a backup utility that is used to backup files from
your hard drive to floppy diskettes.  It provides a simple
interface and allows you to define and save backup and restore
"sets" which can be recalled later.  You can even format
diskettes to many of the standard formats.   VMBACK can be used
as a stand-alone backup utility; however, VMBACKUP provides an
easier-to-use interactive method of using VMBACK to backup or
restore your files.   

                                

VMBACKUP FEATURES               

VMBACKUP has many features which make it powerful, yet easy and
friendly to use.

    û Faster than DOS's BACKUP and RESTORE commands.

    û Compresses files--an average of nearly 50%.  Some files compress
      as much as 75%!

    û Allows the user to create and save backup and restore "sets"
      which can be recalled later and performed without re-entering
      information.

    û Allows file selection by date range--before a date, after a
      date, and between two dates.

    û Detects and formats unformatted diskettes while backing up.
      Supports 360K, 1.2MB, 720K and 1.4MB formats.

    û Allows up to 20 file specifications to be defined and saved in
      the interactive mode.

    û Accepts lists of files to backup or restore.

    û Easy to use interactive shell, as well as a flexible
      command-line version to accommodate both novices and experts.

    û Interactive shell offers context sensitive help and warning
      messages for all fields.



SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

VMBACKUP requires the following to run:

    û A 286 or higher processor.
    û PC/MS-DOS Version 3.2 or greater.
    û A color or monochrome monitor.
    û At least 384K of available conventional memory.
    û A hard drive with at least 500K of available space.

INSTALLING VMBACKUP

To install VMBACKUP on your hard drive, insert the program
diskette in drive A: and type A:INSTALL and press ENTER.  The
installation utility will prompt for a serial number and the
drive and path you would like the VMBACKUP files copied to. 
After you enter this information, the installation program will
copy the VMBACKUP programs to the hard drive, displaying each
file as it is copied.

USING VMBACKUP

Type VMBACKUP to start the program.  You will begin at a
"selection bar" where you choose whether you want to backup or
restore files, load or save a set, enter a list of files to
process or exclude, format diskettes, get help, or exit.  You
will notice that one letter in each option is highlighted.  You
can press the highlighted letter of the choice you want, or you
can highlight the selection by using the left and right arrow
keys.  If you use the arrow keys, you should highlight the
option you want and press the ENTER key.

Depending on which selection you make, some of the fields below
the selection bar will be highlighted and you will be able to
enter information or make selections.  Some of the prompts will
appear darker than the rest and you will not be able to enter
information for those fields for this selection.  This is
because not all the information on the screen is necessary for
some of the functions.  For example, if you choose "Format" from
the Tools menu, the Hard Drive field is not available on the
entry screen.  This is because you only need to specify the
floppy drive (along with some other information) to format
diskettes.  To go back to the selection bar at any time, press
the ESC key.  You can also press the ALT key and one of the
highlighted letters on the selection bar.  This has the same
effect as pressing ESC to return to the selection bar, then
using the arrow keys to highlight a selection.

THE MAIN SELECTION BAR

The Files Menu

Selecting Files from the main selection bar displays a pop-down
menu with more choices related to selecting files for a backup
or restore process.  The options for the Files menu are
described below.

Backup Info

To configure a backup process, select Backup Info from the File
menu and enter the required information.  When you press ENTER
at the last field, you will be returned to the selection bar.

Restore Info

To configure a restore process, select Restore Info from the
pop-down menu and enter the required information.  When you
press ENTER at the last field, you will be returned to the
selection bar.

Include Files

If you need to specify several directories or several different
file specifications, it will not be possible to define them all
in the Files field.  Therefore, the Include Files screen allows
you to enter an extended list of the files you want to process. 
For each entry you define the path and file specification
(again, wildcards are allowed), whether or not to process
subdirectories, and a date range.

Exclude Files

This screen allows you to specify the files to be excluded from
the backup or restore process.   You should enter the drive,
path, and file specification (wildcards are allowed here),
whether or not to exclude matching files in subdirectories of
the specified path, and a range of dates determining which files
should be excluded.

Exit

Select Exit from the Files menu when you are ready to leave
VMBACKUP.  If you loaded or saved a set during the session, and
since changed the information, you will be asked if you want to
save the current information to the set file specified.  You can
update the set file, save the information to a different set
file, or choose not to save the information at all.

The Begin Menu

When you have entered the required information for a backup or
restore process, selecting the Begin option from the main
selection bar allows you to choose between starting a Backup or
Restore process.  A pop-down menu appears with the options
defined below.

Backup

This option will use the information on the various VMBACKUP
screens to back up the files specified.

Restore

This option will use the information on the various VMBACKUP
screens to restore the files specified from an existing set of
VMBACKUP diskettes.

Restore All

This option will begin the restore process immediately using the
diskette drive specified.  It will automatically restore all
files on the backup diskettes starting at the root directory,
including all subdirectories.  The files will be restored to the
current hard drive (i.e. the drive you were on when you started
VMBACKUP).  If no diskette drive has been specified, VMBACKUP
will search the diskette drives for the first diskette of a
VMBACKUP set.

The Set Menu

To load or save a set that you have defined, select Set from the
main selection bar.  A set will save contain all the information
entered on the various VMBACKUP screens.  The options on the Set
menu are defined below.

Load

If you are loading a set, the set must already exist.  You will
be prompted to enter the name of the set. Type the name of a set
you have already saved, and press ENTER.  If the set exists, it
will be loaded; otherwise, a message will appear informing you
that the set could not be found.  When you load a set, the
current information on the VMBACKUP screens is overwritten by
information in the set, so be sure to save any information you
may have changed before loading a different set.  The name of
the current set being edited is displayed in the lower-right
corner of the main screen.

When VMBACKUP starts, it will check for a set called DEFAULT.SET
in the current directory.  If it exists, it will be loaded
automatically.  You can edit and save DEFAULT.SET using
VMBACKUP.  This allows you to configure the way the default
options are set each time you start VMBACKUP.

Save

If you are saving a set, the current information will be saved
to the set name you enter.  If the set already exists, it will
automatically be overwritten.  After you save the current
information to a set, that set becomes the current one.  If you
are not sure which set is currently being edited, the name of
the current set is displayed in the lower-right corner of the
main screen.

The Directory Menu

This option allows you to view the statistics of, or list the
files contained on, a set VMBACKUP  diskettes.  The options on
the Directory menu are defined below.

File List

When you select this option from the Directory menu, you will be
asked to enter the letter of the floppy drive used to create the
backup.  You should place the first diskette of the backup set
into that drive, and enter the drive letter at the prompt.  The
directory listing of each file contained in the backup set will
be listed on the screen.  The path, size, date and time of each
file is displayed.  VMBACKUP will also tell you which diskette
each program resides on.  You can use the arrow and paging keys
to scroll through the file listing.  If you need to search for a
particular file, press the 'F' key (for "find") and you will be
prompted for a file name.  Enter a file name or valid DOS file
specification using wildcards.  Do not specify a path -- just
the filename and extension.  If the file is part of the backup
set, a beep will sound and the page of files containing the file
you entered will be displayed with the selected file
highlighted.  Press ALT-F to search again from the last matching
file.  If no more matching files can be found, a low-pitched
buzzer will sound and the display will remain unchanged.

Backup Info

If you select Backup Info form the Directory menu, you will be
asked to enter the letter of the floppy drive used to create the
backup.  You should place the first diskette of the backup set
into that drive, and enter the drive letter at the prompt.  A
screen displaying information about the backup set is displayed,
showing general statistics about the backup, such as the date
and time the backup was made, how many and which type of
diskettes were used, and how much compression was achieved, if
compression was selected.

The Tools Menu

This option on the main selection bar will allow you to choose
from various utility functions.  These functions are described
below.

Format

If you want to format diskettes prior to performing a backup,
select Format from the Tools menu.  You will be prompted for the
floppy drive of the disk to be formatted, the format of the
diskette, and whether or not to verify the format process. 
Note: choosing to verify disk writes can significantly slow down
the format process.  Keep in mind that you do not need to format
diskettes prior to backing up files.  VMBACKUP will
automatically format unformatted diskettes during the backup
process.

DOS Shell

This option will allow you to exit the VMBACKUP program
temporarily and enter DOS commands or run other programs from a
DOS prompt.  Note that the VMBACKUP program remains in memory
and will reduce the amount of memory available while you are at
the DOS prompt.  Typing 'EXIT' at the DOS prompt will return you
to the VMBACKUP program.  You do not lose any information when
you leave the program using this option; however you must return
to the program using the DOS 'EXIT' command and leave the
VMBACKUP program by selecting 'EXIT' from the Files menu or the
main selection bar to prevent data loss or possible file
corruption.



Configure

This option will allow you to configure the VMBACKUP.  You can
choose the foreground and background colors for most display
objects such as entry fields, menus, and prompts, as well as
where you would like to store backup and restore sets.  When you
press enter at the last field, VMBACKUP saves your selections. 
The next time you run VMBACKUP, these configuration options will
be used by default.

Make File

This option will create a user-defined directory file based on
the information currently entered on the backup or restore
information screen.  This file specifies which files to include
and exclude in the backup or restore process, and which options
have been selected.  Since the available options differ for
backup and restore, VMBACKUP will create either a backup or
restore user directory file based on the last option chosen from
the Files Menu.  That is, if you most recently selected Backup
Info, the directory file created will contain the options
applicable to a backup, rather than a restore process.

The Help Menu

If you need help while running VMBACKUP, select Help from the
main selection bar.  The options available from this selection
are defined below.

Help

When you select Help from the pop-down menu, you will be able to
view the on-line manual if the help file (VMBACKUP.HLP) is in
the current directory.  Otherwise, a pop-up window will appear
describing the general help features of the program.   The
general help screen explains how to obtain information about
moving around the screen and entering information.

About

Selecting About from the menu will display a copyright notice
containing the current version of the product.

Exit

You select this option when you want to exit VMBACKUP and return
to DOS, or if you want to exit temporarily to DOS.  If you
select Quit from the Exit menu, VMBACKUP will exit immediately,
unless you have previously loaded a set and changed any
information.  In this case, you will be asked if you want to
update the set with the new information before you exit.  If you
select Yes, the current information will be saved.

THE BACKUP AND RESTORE INFORMATION SCREEN

The following is a description of each of the fields on the main
screen and what type of information you should enter:

Floppy Drive

Enter the letter of the floppy drive you want to use for the
backup or restore process.

Media Type

Select the size and format for the floppy disks you will be
using for this backup.  This selection is also available for
formatting diskettes.

Select Files

Enter the drive, path and file specification of the files to be
backed up or restored.  You must specify both a path and file
mask (such as *.*).  If you do not specify a file mask, VMBACKUP
will issue an error message stating that there were no files
matching your specification.  If you specify a drive, the files
will be backed up from or restored to this drive.  If you do not
specify a drive here, the files will be backed up from the
current drive.  You can also use this field to specify a
directory file by placing an '@' symbol in front of the file
name.  If you want to specify more than one directory or file
specification, select Include Files from the Files menu.

Restore To

Enter the directory you want to restore the selected files to if
it is different than the directory they were backed up from.  If
you want to restore the files in their original directory, leave
this field blank.  Remember, if you simply want to restore the
files to a different drive, but the same directory, specify the
drive in the Select Files field, not here.

Process Subdirectories

Select Yes if you want to backup or restore subdirectories of
the path entered in the Files field.  Select No to only process
files in the specified directory.

Reset Archive Flag

Select Yes if you want VMBACKUP to turn off the archive
attribute of the files it backs up.

Verify Disk Writes

Select Yes if you want to use extra verification that the
information being backed up or restored has been read and
written properly.  This option is also available if you select
Format from the selection bar.  Selecting Yes for this option
will slow down the process significantly.  If you are concerned
with speed and you are confident that your diskettes are fairly
reliable, you can select No for this option.

Use Compression

Select Yes if you want to compress the files you are backing up.
 Select this process if you are concerned with the number of
diskettes the backup will require.  Refer to the section on data
compression for more information about this option.

Create Backup Log File

Select Yes if you want to create a backup copy of the log file
on the hard drive.  The log file will be created on the current
drive in the current directory.  This option can be useful if
the first diskette of a backup set becomes damaged.

Only Modified Files

Select Yes to backup only modified files.  Select No to backup
all files.  If you select Yes, VMBACKUP will check the archive
attribute for each file.  The file will only be backed up if the
archive bit is set.  If you select No, VMBACKUP ignores the file
attributes.

File Date Range

If you want to backup or restore files within a range of dates,
enter the starting and ending dates for the files you want to
process.  If you enter only a starting date, files from later
than that date will be processed.  If you enter only an ending
date, files earlier than that date will be processed.  Remember,
both dates are inclusive.  Dates should be entered in MMDDYY
format to be processed correctly.

STARTING A BACKUP OR RESTORE

When you have entered all of the appropriate information on the
main screen, pressing ENTER at the last field will cause the
cursor will return to the main selection bar.  You can return to
the main selection bar while entering information by pressing
ESC.  You can now press the B key (for Begin) to display the
Begin menu.  From this menu, select Backup or Restore, depending
on the process you want to perform.  You can also select the
Begin option by using the arrow keys to highlight the Begin
option and pressing ENTER..  After selecting the Backup or
Restore option from this menu, the main backup screen will
appear.

If you are backing up files from your hard drive, you will be
asked to insert the first diskette in the drive you selected. 
After inserting a diskette, press a key (such as ENTER or SPACE)
to begin the backup process.  If the files being backed up
require more than one diskette, you will be prompted for the
next one and the program will wait until you insert a diskette
and press a key.  VMBACKUP will warn you if you insert a
diskette which is already part of an existing backup set.  That
is, if you are prompted for disk #5 and you insert disk #3 which
has already been filled during this backup session, the program
will warn you that you may have inserted the wrong diskette. 
You can, however, select to override this warning and continue
to use the diskette.  If you use the same diskettes from a
previous backup session, the program will not warn you unless
you insert the diskettes in a different order.  In other words,
if you insert the diskettes in exactly the same order you
inserted them during the last backup session, the program will
not notify you.  The intention is to alert you when you
accidentally insert a prior diskette, not overwhelm you with
burdensome warnings.

The main VMBACK screen is split into two parts.  The top half
displays information about the backup or restore operation in
progress.  The bottom half displays the files names as they are
backed up or restored.

During the backup or restore, the information on the right side
of the screen will be updated.  This information tells you how
many files have been backed up or restored, what percentage of
the process has been completed, which diskette is currently in
use, and how much of that diskette has been filled.  If you are
backing up files, the diskette percentage and average
compression percentage are displayed.  These two fields are not
displayed when restoring files.

The left side of the screen displays information about the files
you selected to backup or restore.  The following information is
displayed: the number of files selected, the number of disks in
the backup set, the date range selected (if any), whether you
selected to verify disk writes, and whether you selected to use
data compression.  If you are restoring files, the number of
diskettes required is the number of diskettes in the entire
backup set.  If you are backing up files, it is an estimate of
the number of diskettes required to backup the selected files. 
The program always calculates the number of diskettes as if data
compression was not selected.  This is because it is impossible
to estimate in advance how much compression will occur on each
file. 

The bottom half of the screen displays the file names as they
are backed up or restored. The file name at the bottom of the
list is always the file currently being processed.

If, at any time during the backup or restore process, you press
the ESC key, VMBACKUP will warn you that the files you are
processing may not be completely backed up or restored.  If you
are sure you want to exit, answer Exit and the program will
discontinue the current process.  If you are backing up files
and press ESC, the program will confirm that you want to exit,
then it will prompt you for disk #1.  It needs to copy the
backup log file to the first diskette to make the backup usable.
If you do not allow VMBACKUP to copy the log file to the first
diskette at this time, you will not be able to restore any of
the files in this backup set.

After the last file has been backed up, VMBACKUP prompts you to
insert diskette #1 again (if it is not already in the drive). 
This is where VMBACKUP will save the backup "log" file.  This
file contains a listing of all the files included in this
backup.  It also includes information about the date and time
the backup was performed, how many disks were used, and whether
or not data compression was selected.  The backup is complete
after the log file is copied to the first diskette.

USING DATA COMPRESSION

If you are concerned about reducing the number of diskettes
required to backup your files, you should choose Yes for Use
Data Compression on the main screen.  Remember that since data
compression ratios vary with different types of data, it is
impossible to estimate the exact number of diskettes that will
be required for a backup using compression.  The number of
required diskettes on the backup screen is always the number of
diskettes that would be required if compression was not used.

You will find that compression ratios vary according to the type
of files you are backing up.  Large files (those over 8KB in
size) compress better than small files.  Using compression can
speed up a backup on a fast machine, because the number of bytes
actually written to the diskettes is considerably reduced. 
However, on slower machines, using compression could cause a
backup to take longer than usual since the compression algorithm
will require extra processor time.

Table 1 illustrates some different file types and average space
savings for each.  As you can see, most backups will need only
about one-half of the diskettes if compression is used.  These
numbers are representative of average results; your actual
savings may vary.

    File Type           Average Savings

    Graphics / Publishing       60%
    Database                    55%
    Spreadsheets                50%
    Word Processor Documents    45%
    Executable Programs         35%
    Total Average Savings       49%

    Table 1 - Average Compression Ratios



AUTOMATIC LOADING OF SETS

If you have created a backup or restore set, you can tell
VMBACKUP to load the set when it starts.  You do this by adding
the /L option on the command line.  To load a set called
MYBACKUP.SET, you would type:

    C> VMBACKUP /L=MYBACKUP.SET

This would start VMBACKUP with the set already loaded and ready
for editing.  If you want to load the set and begin the backup
or restore operation immediately, you can use the /A option as
follows:

    C> VMBACKUP /L=MYBACKUP.SET /A



USING THE VMBACK UTILITY

VMBACK can also be used as a stand alone utility.  All the
options you normally select from VMBACKUP can be set on the
command line.  Following is the syntax for the VMBACK command
along with an explanation of each of the parameters:

VMBACK b: h:filespec /F:type [options...]

 Parameter     Description 

b:          backup (floppy) drive letter
h:          hard drive letter
filespec    a valid DOS file specification or a text file
            specifying the files to be processed

/F:type     backup media type: 360, 1.2, 720, 1.4 

/R     restore specified files (default is backup) 
/S     process subdirectories of preceding path 
/A     backup only files with archive attribute set 
/U     update (clear) archive attribute during backup 
/C     compress data during backup 
/V     turn on data verification during writes 
/B     create backup copy of log file on hard drive
/(:mmddyy     process files with date equal/after specified date 
/):mmddyy     process files with date equal/before specified date 
/P:path       alternate target directory for file restore

        Table 2 - VMBACK Parameters


REQUIRED PARAMETERS

The Floppy Drive

This parameter tells VMBACK which floppy drive you wish to
backup onto.  VMBACK supports 360Kb 5¬", 1.2Mb 5¬", 720Kb 3«",
and 1.44Mb 3« drives.



The Path and File Specification

This parameter tells VMBACK the directory(s) to backup and which
files to include.  The directory path must be a complete path
starting at the root.  The file mask is a set of files which
match the given pattern.  Asterisks (*) and question marks (?)
are allowed as with DOS.  Wildcards are not allowed in the path
specifier, however.  The file mask can also be a directory file
created by the user which contains one or more path/file
specifiers.  To backup subdirectories of the specified path, use
the /S option after each specification it applies to.  You may
include as many path/file specifications as will fit on the
command line.  Remember, you need to include the /S option after
each file specification it applies to.  The file specification
can also be a user-created directory file (i.e. a list of
files/filemasks to be backed up or restored).

Backup Media Type  /F

This tells VMBACK which type of diskette you will be using as
the backup media.  One of the valid media types should follow
the /F option as defined below:

Parameter     Description 

/F:360     Use 360K 5 1/4" Diskette 
/F:1.2     Use 1.2MB 5 1/4" Diskette 
/F:720     Use 720K 3 1/2" Diskette 
/F:1.4     Use 1.44MB 3 1/2" Diskette 

    

You should specify this option only once on the command line.

OPTIONAL ARGUMENTS

Restore Mode  /R

This option tells VMBACK to restore the files specified in the
file mask to the hard drive specified.  It will use the floppy
drive specified on the command line to retrieve the files from
the backup diskettes.  The default mode is backup mode if you
omit the /R option.

Backup Subdirectories  /S

This option tells VMBACK to check for subdirectories below the
specified directory when backing up or restoring files.  All
files in subdirectories below the specified directory will be
backed up or restored if the files match the mask specified on
the command line or in a user created directory file.  The
default mode only processes files in the current or specified
directory.  You should specify /S immediately after each
path/file specification on the command line if you want to
search subdirectories of that path.

Write Verification  /V

This option tells VMBACK to verify all disk writes in either
backup or restore mode.  This option, when activated, will often
degrade performance by as much as 30%.  Most floppy drives and
diskettes are reliable enough to forego the verification
process.  If you are using disks for the first time, or are
using very old diskettes, or you believe your floppy drive is
not up to standards, you may wish to use this option.  The
default is no write verification.

Data Compression  /C

This option will turn on data compression while backing up.  It
is ignored during restore mode since data compression is
detected automatically based on whether or not it was used
during the backup procedure. You can expect data compression to
reduce the number of diskettes required by 35% to 65%, depending
on the type of data being backed up.  Large files will compress
better than small files, and data files from database or
spreadsheet applications will compress more effectively
executable or binary files.

Date Filtering  /( and /)

These options tells VMBACK to process only files that are dated
either before or after the specified date.  To backup or restore
only files that are dated on or after a particular date, use the
/( option.  To backup or restore only files that are dated on or
before a particular date, use the /) option.  For example,

    C:\> VMBACK A: C: \*.* /S /(:030393

will backup all files on the hard drive that are dated beginning
March 3, 1994.  Note that these commands use "inclusive" dates;
that is, files that are dated exactly March 3, 1994 will be
included in the backup example shown above.

Alternate Restore Directory  /P

This option tells VMBACK to restore files to the directory
specified.  If the directory does not exist, it will be created.
For example, if you backed up all the files in the \DOCS
directory, but you want to restore them under the \NEW
directory, type:

    C:\> VMBACK A: C:\DOCS\*.* /P:\NEW /R

Create Backup Log File  /B

This option will cause VMBACK to automatically create a backup
copy of the BUP.LOG file which is copied to the first diskette
of a set of VMBACKUP diskettes.  The file name will be in the
format MMDDHHMM.LOG, where:

    MM    The current month      (01 - 12)
    DD    The current date       (01 - 31)
    HH    The current hour       (00 - 23)
    MM    The current minute     (00 - 59)

This file will be created in the current directory on the
current hard drive.  Refer to the section explaining the
VMBACKUP log file for more information about how VMBACKUP uses
the log file during the backup and restore processes.

USER-DEFINED DIRECTORY FILES

If you can not fit all of the file specifications you need on
the command line, you can create a directory file that lists the
file specifications to be used by VMBACK, just as if each one
appeared on the normal command line.  To do this you will need
to create a standard ASCII text file using a word-processor or
text-editor.  Be sure there are no special control codes
imbedded in the file if you are using a word-processor.  The
file should be a list of lines specifying each path/file
specification to back up, and whether or not to process
subdirectories of that path.  Each line should be of the format:

    d:\path\filemask [/S] [/(:mmddyy] [/):mmddyy]

Figure 1 illustrates a typical user-defined directory file
including options, include files, and exclude files.  The /S
option should be used to indicate that subdirectories of the
path specified on that line are to be processed during the
backup/restore.  If you omit the /S option, only the directory
specified will be processed.  You must leave at least one space
between the path specification and the /S option if it is
included.  The /(: and /): options should also be preceded by a
space.  A user-defined directory file can also contain special
keywords which activate or deactivate VMBACK options.  These
keywords are used in place of the command-line options they
represent.

# ============================
#    SAMPLE DIRECTORY FILE
# ============================
# ----- Backup Options -----
VERIFY=OFF
COMPRESSION=ON
BACKUPLOG=ON

# ----- Files to Exclude -----
EXCLUDE=C:\*.EXE /(:030193
EXCLUDE=C:\*.BAK /S

# ----- Files to Include -----
C:\*.*
D:\UTILITY\*.COM /(:030393
C:\WORDPROC\*.DOC /S /):040193

Figure 1 - Sample User-Defined Directory File

User-Defined Directory Keywords

There are several keywords that can be used within a directory
file.  Each keyword is listed below followed by an explanation
of its usage.

 

#

Comment line indicator.  These can be placed anywhere within the
directory file.  Text following the comment line indicator is
ignored.



VERIFY=[ON|OFF]

By setting this keyword to ON or OFF, you can control
write-verification during the backup or restore process.  This
is the same as using /V on the command line.  This keyword
should be placed before any file specifications and should only
appear once in the directory file.

COMPRESSION=[ON|OFF]

By setting this keyword to ON or OFF, you can control data
compression during the backup process.  This is the same as
using /C on the command line.  This keyword should be placed
before any file specifications and should only appear once in
the directory file.

RESTPATH=d:\path

By setting this keyword to a new drive and/or directory, you can
control where files are placed during the restore process.  This
is the same as using /P on the command line.  This keyword
should be placed before any file specifications and should only
appear once in the directory file.

EXCLUDE=d:\path\filespec  [/S]  [/(:mmddyy]  [/):mmddyy]

By setting this keyword to a file specification, you can control
which files are processed during the backup or restore process. 
You should specify the drive letter and full path of the files
to be excluded.  The subdirectory and date range options work
the same as they do for backup file specifications.

BACKUPLOG=[ON|OFF]

By setting this keyword to ON or OFF, you can control whether or
not a backup copy of the log file is created on the hard drive.

ARCHIVE=[ON|OFF]

By setting this keyword to ON or OFF, you can control whether
VMBACKUP backs up only files that have the ARCHIVE attribute
turned on.

UPDATE=[ON|OFF]

By setting this keyword to ON or OFF, you can control whether
VMBACKUP clears the ARCHIVE attribute on the files it backs up.





To use a directory file as part of a backup or restore process,
specify the name of the directory file in place of the file
specification parameter.  Place an "@" character immediately
before the name of the directory file, to tell VMBACK that this
file should not be backed up or restored, but used to specify
the files to be processed.  For example, to backup each of the
files listed in the file "MYFILES.DIR", use the following
command line:

    C:\> VMBACK A: C: @myfiles.dir

OPTIMIZING VMBACKUP

Choosing Files to Backup

To make your backups as quick as possible, it is important to
back up only the files that are in danger of being lost
permanently.  This includes any data files from database
managers, spreadsheets or word processors.  You should back up
system files such as AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS, and the
program configuration files that many popular applications
create when you install them.  Any file that you create, either
directly or indirectly, should be backed up.  However, you may
not want to backup program or data files that exist on the
distribution diskettes, since these diskettes essentially are
your backup copy.  It is, however, a good idea to make a backup
copy of the original diskettes before you install any piece of
software.  By eliminating the unnecessary files from your backup
set, you will be able to minimize backup time and diskette
requirements.

Configuring Your System

If you want to help VMBACKUP run at optimum efficiency, try the
following suggestions:

Do not use write-verification.  Verifying disk writes can slow
down the program significantly.

Set the BUFFERS statement in your CONFIG.SYS file to 30 for a
286, and 40 for a 386 or higher system.

Load a hard drive caching program.

Remove any TSR's (other than drive caching software) from memory
while running VMBACKUP.

Use a "drive optimizer" or defragmenting software to reduce the
amount of time it takes DOS to retrieve information from your
hard drive.

Most of these suggestions will actually improve your system's
performance even when VMBACKUP is not running.  You may want to
refer to your DOS manual for other suggestions on improving
DOS's performance.

THE VMBACKUP LOG FILE

Whenever you back up files using VMBACK, information about the
files is placed on the first diskette in the set.  That is why
you need to replace the first diskette at the end of a backup. 
Since VMBACK creates the log file on the current hard drive, and
later copies it to the first diskette, you must make sure that
the program is able to write to the current directory of the
hard drive you are on when you start VMBACKUP.  This note may be
useful to network users who need to establish write-access to
certain directories for each user.  VMBACK will issue an error
and exit if it cannot create the log file on the hard drive
before the backup begins.

Because the log file is VMBACKUP's only directory of the files
contained on a set of backup diskettes, it is imperative that
the first diskette of a set contain a valid copy of the log
file.  Without it, VMBACKUP will not be able to restore any of
the files on the backup diskettes.  If the first diskette of a
backup were to become damaged, it might become impossible to
restore any of the files contained in that set.  To help reduce
the occurrence of this problem, VMBACKUP allows you to create a
"backup copy" of the log file on the hard drive at the same time
it's created on the first diskette (at the end of the backup
process).  If the log file on the first diskette were erased or
became damaged, you would still be able to restore the backup
set.  In this case, use the DIR command to view the backup file
on the last diskette.  Notice the date and time of the file. 
Now look on your hard drive for a file with the extension of
".LOG" whose name corresponds to the date and time of the files
on the backup diskette.  For example, if the file on the last
diskette was named BUP.008, and was dated March 9, 1992 at 8:35
PM, you should look for a file on your hard drive with the name
"03092035.LOG".  This file can be copied to the first diskette
of your backup set as "BUP.LOG."  Now, VMBACKUP should be able
to restore the files on the backup set (provided the rest of the
diskettes are undamaged).

THE VMDIR COMMAND

Whenever you need information about the backup set, you can put
the first diskette in the drive and type:

        C:\> VMDIR A:
    or
        C:\> VMDIR B:

The VMDIR command will display a listing of all the files
contained in the backup set, as well as some general statistics
about the backup itself.  An information block is printed first,
showing when the backup was made, how many bytes and how many
files were backed up, how many diskettes are in the entire set,
and whether or not data compression was used.  The list
continues by displaying a line for each file that was backed up.
 By including a file specification on the command line, only
matching files will be displayed.  If no file specification is
given, all files are displayed.  Figure 2 shows a partial
directory listing of a typical backup set.

VMDIR - Disk Directory Utility for VMBACK.
(C)1994 Vinnie Murdico.

Backup Information:
----------------------------------------------------------------
Backup start time: Sunday, Feb 7 1994  9:46:24 PM
Backup end time:   Sunday, Feb 7 1994  9:48:06 PM
Backup consists of 88932 bytes in 9 files on 1 1.44MB 3«" disk(s)
Backup data is compressed.
47133 bytes written to backup media (53% compression).
----------------------------------------------------------------

     File Name                Date       Time       Size
C:\WORDPROC\CLOCK.DOC        10-08-92   10:50p      2497
C:\WORDPROC\LETTER.DOC        8-10-92   10:09p      3269
C:\WORDPROC\NOTICE.DOC        1-16-93    4:25p       505
C:\WORDPROC\SAMPLE.DOC        9-06-92   11:12p      3819
C:\UTIL\ANYTOOL.EXE           8-21-92   12:11a       728
C:\UTIL\PRINTER.EXE           1-18-93   10:16p      7383

    Figure 2 - A Sample VMDIR Directory Listing



VMDIR Options  

Following is the syntax for the VMDIR command, along with an
explanation of each of the parameters:

VMDIR d: [filespec] [/P] [/S] [/N] [/D]

Parameter     Description 

/P     Pause after displaying each screenful of files 
/S     Display only backup statistics 
/N     Display only names of files in backup set. Do not display
       date, time, size or diskette information
/D     Display diskette number where each file is located 

        Table 3 - VMDIR Parameters

Certain options cannot be used together.  For example, it is not
meaningful to specify /S with any of the other options since the
other options affect the way each file is displayed and the /S
option displays only backup set statistics, not the individual
files in the backup set.


End of Manual
