Problem:
========
It isn't unusual that internet connections abort once a day. A lot of 
providers are doing that. Therefore it isn't unusual too that a full 
backup aborts and will be saved as an partial backup. If the next full 
backup aborts too, it will only be saved if it contains more files than 
the previous partial.
If a big file will be added on client after a partial backup is stored 
than it is possible that the transfer of this new file, within the next 
full run, needs a lot of time. If this full backup aborts too than it is 
possible that it contains less files than the previous backup. It will be 
cancelled and this big file have to be retransmitted within the next full 
run.

In average I can transmit 6GB per day, depending on the internet upload 
bandwith of the client. So it isn't unlikely that I will never backup this 
client, because of the above problem.
Don't advise the $Conf{PartialAgeMax}. This would change a reliable 
backup into a game of luck ;-) (I know, that's not really true. But I didn't
believe this would be a reliable solution)

Solution:
========
BackupPC_dump compare the filecount and decide if the old partial backup 
must be removed or not. If BackupPC_dump remove the old partial it will 
rename the $TopDir/pc/$client/new directory into $TopDir/pc/$client/<nnn> 
after this. In the other case it will only remove the
$TopDir/pc/$client/new.

Instead this, BackupPC_dump should "move" the $TopDir/pc/$client/new 
always over $TopDir/pc/$client/<nnn>, overwriting existing files and 
creating new files in $TopDir/pc/$client/<nnn>. The "NewFileList" contains
all new files anyway. Therefore BackupPC_link should do his job perfectly
too.

Advantage:
========
+ All transmitted files will be saved within the actual backup.
  Nevertheless if a full backup will be aborted after a short or long time 
  or not.
+ The continuation (strictly speaking the 2nd or later continuation) of a
  partial backup must not retransmit files which are always transmitted.

Disadvantage:
========
None known.
Such a full backup can have a duration of more than a few days. It is not
sure which version of changed files are in the backup or not. But the
duration of a [full] backup isn't really influenceable. So also without 
the above "improvement" we didn't know which version of a file is within 
the backup.
e.g.: If we use snapshots and a file will be deleted after the start of a 
backup it will be stored within the backup. If we don't use snapshots that 
isn't sure. It depends from the time where it was deleted. If we use 
different shares the above case isn't sure too.

There is no different between the BackupPC_dump implementation and the above
suggestion, but less retransmits.

What is your opinion about this?

br
Mattthias
-- 
Don't Panic


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