Feature Request: Backup svi file

Started by Marco

Marco

Feature Request: Backup svi file   29 April 2015, 17:44

Hi.
I'm a very happy user of your Ramdisk software. The only thing I miss is the possibility to run a batch file when the ramdisk gets saved to the svi image file.

I would like to backup the svi file for safety reasons. It could happen that the pc shuts down (BSOD, end of power, application crash, ...) while the svi file is being written. This would cause full data loss.
I would like to backup the svi file every time it gets written. This way I would always have a working copy (in the worst event it wouldn't be very updated)

There could also be other events that fire a script, like:
- svi file is loaded to memory
- ramdisk unit gets un-mounted

Another solution would be adding the possibility to save the last "n" svi files (or, maybe better, files older then x days). Ramdisk would only have to "rename" the previous one before saving to a new svi file. (and then delete the outdated ones).
SoftPerfect Support forum - Andrew avatar image

Re: Feature Request: Backup svi file   29 April 2015, 18:44

Well this makes sense, but the RAM disk runs in the kernel which makes running batch files a bit complicated.

Wouldn't it be easier just run an archiving program say every 5 minutes, compress all files from the RAM disk and and store backups as necessary?
Marco

Re: Feature Request: Backup svi file   29 April 2015, 20:17

Yes it could be a solution, but I think it would make Ramdisk less useful. That's because it would cause heavy HDD and CPU usage and that would slow down overall performances (depending on size of ramdisk).
I'm actually already doing it, but once a day on a 2GB ramdisk (during lunch).
The point of Ramdisks is to speed up the system or some specific operations. I know this comes at cost of reliability and safety of data, but I'm trying to reach a good balance.

I understand the kernel thing... Would it be easier to run a service instead of a batch file?
Another idea would be to write in a log file that the svi file has been written, so that it would be possible to parse the file.

Anyway the "file renaming" solution should be very easy to implement and should be possible even in the kernel. You can write a file, so you can probably make a copy of it before writing?

I could also try to monitor the folder with the svi file and wait for a change in date/time and then backup the file. I'd have to write a specific background application for that though...Is the file locked in read/write while it gets updated?
It would also help to know when it will be updated. Now I can specify an interval of x mins, but I don't know when x mins will elapse.
SoftPerfect Support forum - Andrew avatar image

Re: Feature Request: Backup svi file   30 April 2015, 12:56

Creating a copy of SVI file every time before saving it, or saving it to a new file every time would cause the same effect on the HDD and CPU. In your case it means writing 2 GB every X seconds, pretty the same if you run a file-level backup.

Besides, the features you are asking for are specific to your own scenario, and I don't see how they would benefit other RAM Disk users.

For your scenario a good solution might be the Windows built-in Robocopy or Unison. Both tools only copy changed files and do so efficiently.
Marco

Re: Feature Request: Backup svi file   30 April 2015, 19:00

Ok.
Thanks for the answers.
I'll try with robocopy or similar!

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