Windows Backup Software (diff backup without archive bit)
 

Hello Everybody,

I am searching for a (open source or freeware) backup software for Windows XP from which I can backup my data which in Linux EXT3 file system and shared in Windows XP using samba. I specially need to take *differential* backups but as ext3 does not support "archive" bit so backup software should have something like "backup last <nn> days modified file".

Thanks in advance,

Neeraj

Sorry, but ext3 does support differential backups with lots of different backup software. Tivoli Storage Manager, Netbackup, Networker, and Arkeia, all support it. However, WINDOWS files on an EXT3 system, don't support what Windows considers an 'archive' bit.

Your question is a bit vague...are you running this software on the Windows system, or on the Linux server? Because you could attack this one of two ways:

1. Format a partition/drive on your Linux server as ntfs, so the Windows servers will have an easier time mounting and dealing with it. Linux can still mount and use it fine, using the ntfs-3g option.

2. If you keep the partition/drive as ext3, back it up using Linux software. Differential backups should work, as the files will be 'regular' linux files, on a native partition.

Hello,

Thanks for your reply.

I want to run the backup software on Windows XP systems. I want a solution for 10-15 people working assuming that they are working on Windows XP and mapping a samba share (of their own directory) of a Linux SuSE Server (we keep it as a file server). In Linux server we created different directories for each person and each one shares his own directory through samba and map it.

The reason behind finding Windows specific software is that we want to let people (working on XP) decide when they want to backup. Like if someone wants take 3 times a day backup or some person wants to take 1 time a day.

Ok..then that question is probably better asked on a Windows forum, where there may be people who know about Windows software.

I was doing something similar and ended up with the same answer TB0ne gave you in his first replay: creating an ntfs partition in the linux system. It is easier for windows and linux can work with it cleanly.