Robert Tilden wrote:

Is there any way to specify the order machines are backed up in? I'd like to back up laptops first in the process so that if the backups extend into the business day the laptops don't disappear before being backed up.

No.

Strange, because laptops are usually not connected at night,
at least that's what I usually see.

I have a large share, and I instruct the laptop users to manually
create a backup (using Windows Backup tools) to that share, anytime
they like.
That share on a Linux server is backed up nightly with amanda.

I also instruct them to backup only data-folders, not the complete
laptop.

There was a short period, where I experimented with a separate
config for the laptop users, and I would run that config during
lunch.  But even then, some laptops were not connected, and
those that were, complained that their machine was crawling like
a snail due to the backup (actually, they just saw the blinking
leds, but didn't understand what was going on.  You explain it
one day, and two weeks later they would complain again about
some virus on their computer because the noticed diskactivity
was not due to their wordprocessing).


--
Paul Bijnens, Xplanation                            Tel  +32 16 397.511
Technologielaan 21 bus 2, B-3001 Leuven, BELGIUM    Fax  +32 16 397.512
http://www.xplanation.com/          email:  Paul.Bijnens AT xplanation DOT com
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