Backup overview

Connected Agents continuously protect files on your Windows and macOS-based computers from loss or damage by backing them up to Connected for safekeeping. At any time, you can restore a protected file if you accidentally lose or damage it or want a previous version. Additionally, you can download copies of your backed up files to any device.

NOTE: Connected provides data protection and not long-term archival storage. Although it retains the most current copy of your protected files indefinitely, it keeps previous versions of those files for only a limited time before permanently deleting them. Similarly, when you delete a protected file from your computer, Connected keeps its copy for only a limited time. Files permanently deleted from Connected are no longer available for access.

What the Agent backs up

An administrative backup policy specifies which of your computer's files and folders the Agent backs up for protection by default. You can manage your backups by adding and removing items from those the Agent protects for you. The collection of protected items is called your backup set. There is no limit to the number of items that Agents can back up. If you have multiple computers registered with Connected, you can manage the backups of each one independently. If you share a computer with other Connected users, the Agent backs up your files according to the backup policy that applies to you and does so only while you are logged on to the computer.

For more information about customizing your backups, see Manage backups. To see the list of newly created or modified items that are pending backup, see View items pending backup.

When backups occur

Agents provide automatic continuous protection of your files, by default. Starting with Agent version 4.9.0, you can also initiate backups on demand. For continuous protection, while you are logged in to your computer, even if it is locked (but not in sleep or hibernation mode), the Agent runs in the background and monitors your protected files for changes. When it detects one, the Agent automatically backs up the file during its next backup. If your computer has an active network connection, backups for most files occur every 15 minutes. Modified Outlook .pst and IBM Notes .nsf files are queued for backup once every 24 hours. If you do not have an active network connection, backups resume automatically when the computer regains its connection. For Agents that support on-demand backups, users can initiate a backup interactively whenever one is not already in progress, and administrators can trigger one through a command line, even if the Agent is not running. For more information, see Initiate a backup on demand.

How the Agent detects file changes

The Agent employs two methods to identify file changes. While the Agent is running, it works in tandem with its filter driver to detect files changes as they occur. The filter driver is a small application, installed with the Agent, that continuously listens for file changes and informs the Agent of them. To supplement this continuous mode of data protection, the Agent occasionally scans your computer searching for files that changed while it was not running. These scans occur whenever you install or upgrade the Agent, the Agent restarts (such as after you restart the computer), or rules in the Agent's administrative backup policy change. You can quickly check whether the Agent is scanning or backing up files by pointing to the Connected icon to see its current activity. If a backup is not running, the Agent's Backup Status dialog box shows you when the next one starts. For more information, see View a device's backup status.

IMPORTANT: macOS 10.15 (Catalina) introduced data protection measures on folders that contain your documents and other personal files in your user profile. As a result, the first time the Agent attempts to access one of these protected folders while scanning your computer for file changes, macOS prompts whether to allow access to that folder. For the Agent to back up files from that location, you must allow access. After granting access to a specific folder, you are not prompted again for that location unless you manually revoke access through the macOS Security & Privacy settings.

For more information about this macOS security-related data protection feature, see https://www.apple.com/macos/catalina/features/.

How much time backups take

Several factors impact the amount of time that it takes Agents to back up files, such as the number of files to back up, the number of other applications running on your device, and the speed of your network connection. For details, see the FAQ How much time does it take the Agent to back up files?

With the exception of your first backup, the number of files that require backup at any one time is usually not very large because of the continuous protection that the Agent provides. However, depending on the size of your backup set, your first backup can take hours or, in the case of an extremely large backup set, a few days to complete. Therefore, in addition to the typical manner of monitoring backup progress, the Connected web application provides an enhanced status of active first backups on both the Files tab and your profile page.

You can view the status of your device's first backup from two locations:

  • Files tab. During a device's first backup, its tile on the Files tab provides an estimate of how much of the backup has completed. When the first backup completes, Connected removes this status information from the tile.

  • Profile page. The device tiles on your profile page provide status of all active and completed first backups. During a device's initial backup, its tile displays the number of files already backed up and an estimate of how much of the first backup has completed. When the first backup completes, Connected replaces this status information with a check mark (first backup complete icon). To see the completion date of the first backup, point to the check mark.

    TIP: To access your profile page, in the upper-right corner of the Connected web application, click your name, and then click My Profile.

How to determine the status of your backups

The Agent backs up files silently in the background so you might not notice its activity. The quickest way to determine whether a backup is in progress is to point to the Connected icon to see its current activity. During a backup, the status message that appears identifies which file the Agent is currently processing and how many files remain.

The Agent also provides a more detailed backup status, which is available regardless of whether a backup is in progress. It identifies the current backup status, when the last backup occurred, backup-related statistics about the files in your backup set, and information about any files the Agent failed to back up and the reasons for those failures. You can also see the list of files pending backup. For more information, see View a device's backup status.

How to access your backed up files

Connected stores the files that Agents back up in device-specific backup sets. You can access the current version of files in your backup sets through the web application. The web application, accessible from any supported browser on a computer, lets you access previous versions of your backups, too.

For more information, see Access backups from a web browser.