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Your Mac can be backed up over the network using software called Retrospect which your computing coordinator can install for you. This brief document attempts to serve as a reminder of how the backup process works and of how to indicate the files you want to have backed up.

How does backup happen?

At 7pm each night the backup server scans the network for computers that are running and ready to back-up. Files and folders that are marked for backup (more on this later) are copied across the network and stored in a central location on magnetic tape. Once the server has finished copying the files from one computer it looks for another and the process continues until around 6am the next morning when the server stops looking for Macs in need of backup.

How do I make sure my computer is backed up?

First of all you need to be sure your computer is running during the 7pm-6am time period. If your computer is always off during this time then it will never be backed up. Second your computer has to be configured with the backup software and the server needs to be aware that your computer should be backed up when possible. Your computing coordinator will take care of these details when they initially install the backup software.

Why do I get this new message when I try to shutdown my computer?

Once the backup software is installed on your computer you will get a message when you attempt to shutdown asking if you really want to shutdown. If you click "shutdown" your computer will do just that and as the previous answer indicates your computer won't be backed up. If you simply leave your computer with that message on the screen the computer will be running but otherwise inactive. This is the ideal state for the backup server and we recommend you leave your computer in this state on the evenings you want your computer backed up. If you leave your computer in this state a minimalist screen saver will come on after a few minutes. If (when?) the backup server gets around to backing up your machine it will complete the shutdown procedure for you. You should arrive the next morning to find your computer turned off and backed up.

Which files get backed up?

When the backup server backs up your computer it checks each file to see if it meets certain criteria. If (and only if) it meets the criteria the file is backed up. The criteria are as follows. Your Eudora folder (which lives in the System folder) containing all your mail messages and nicknames will be backed up. Your netscape bookmarks will be backed up. In addition any files or folders that the have the text (backup) in their names will be backed up. Be sure to include the parentheses. Also note that if a folder is backed up then all its contents including enclosed folders and their contents ( including sub-folders and their sub-folders ad infinitum) are backed up as well.

Isn't adding (backup) to the names of all important files or folders a bit messy?

Yes, so there is an alternate method. The Mac has a little used feature called File labels. Every file and folder can have an associated label alongside it's normal characteristics: name, size, date modified. You are allowed to use 7 different labels on a given Mac. Each of the 7 labels has an associated color and name. Files and folders labeled with the last of these 7 labels (labels always appear in an ordered list so the "last" label will be consistently last) will be backed up. You'll probably want to change the text of the last label on your computer to something that reflects this behavior, like "backup".
The exact procedure for "labeling" a file varies depending on how your Mac is setup. The first step is to select the file or folder by clicking once on its icon. Next go to the File menu and select Label or simply to the Label menu if you have one. If you select the last of the labels on this list the file (or folder) you originally selected will then be associated with the last label and thus marked for backup. The color of the file or folder will also be adjusted to that of the label as a reminder of its status. Labels can be renamed and the colors changed within either the Label control panel (if you have one), or under the Preferences option in the Edit menu of the Finder if you don't.

What if there's a file (or folder) that I explicitly don't want to have backed up?

Files or folder with the text (exclude) in their name will not be backed up regardless of any of the proceeding criteria. So if a folder is marked (exclude) none of the files in it will ever be backed up no matter what. In addition files and folder with a • in their name (you can obtain the character by typing the Option and 8 keys simultaneously) will not be backed up if this option is enabled in the Retrospect Client control panel.

So what should I backup?

You should mark for backup any files or folders that contain material you created. Software, including Word, Netscape, Eudora should not be backed up. If your hard drive were to fail it would be much more expedient to restore these from the original disks than from the backup tapes. In addition software such as these often represent a significant fraction of the actual volume of files on your hard drive. Ninety percent on my computer. Not backing them up will make the backups faster and much easier to manage. Remember that only files you explicitly mark will be backed up so you only need to worry about locating the files you've created and making sure they are marked for backup.

What if I want to work on my computer during the evening?

In theory a backup can take place in the background while you're working normally on your computer. However, it may slow things down and be somewhat of a headache. Therefore it's probably best not to allow a backup to occur when you're actively working on your computer. Before the backup starts that backup server will give you a warning message and allow you to defer the backup. The message will pop up asking if you'd like to backup now or defer. (Since this may occur at any point after 7pm it can be surprising the first few times the backup message pops up) Choosing the defer option allows you to select a time when you'd like the backup to occur. Since the default time is set to the present, you'll want to set it back several hours (by selecting the hours field and clicking the up arrow) to a time when you know you'll no longer be working on your computer. If you'd rather avoid even that level of interruption you can disable all backups by choosing the "Off" option in the Retrospect Client control panel (it's at the bottom of your list of control panels). If you do this remember to put it back in the "On" position when you're done.

What if I need to retrieve files from the backup tapes?

If your hard drive crashes, or for other reasons you can no longer access the files you've so carefully backed up contact your computing coordinator. They will arrange the appropriate recovery procedure including retrieving and restoring your files from the backup tapes if necessary.