Backup policy overview

Backup policies define the files Agents target for backup and the actions users can perform on their backed-up data, stored in device-specific backup sets. The following list describes the key concepts of backup policies.

Policy components

Each backup policy contains the following components:

  • General details. Policy name, description, and policy scope (corporate or group level).

  • Backup settings. Settings that control the scope and generation of backups and the access to content in them. These settings fall into the following categories:

    • Backup scope. These settings control the scope of the policy on disk, such as whether Agents skip specific locations when scanning and backing up. You can choose to skip specific drives and volumes, and enable smart scan technology to skip a predefined set of folders.

      Backup scope settings let you optimize system scans and backups by limiting the scope of a policy's rule groups to locations most likely to contain user data. For example, if your corporate security policy prevents users from accessing the drive that contains the operating system, you can configure backup policies to skip that drive. Agents using an optimized policy scan devices faster and complete backups more quickly than usual. Also, the reduced scan time reduces the Agent's impact on system performance. For more information about scope options, see Optimize system scans with scope settings.

    • Backup generation. These settings enable express backups, control retention of files no longer in scope for backup, and allow backups over metered connections. For devices running Agent 4.9.0 or later, these settings also include an option to enable the backup of Windows-specific user state files (.mig) regardless of admin or user rules that exclude them.
    • Backup access. These settings specify whether users can view or download files backed up under the policy.

  • Rules. A prioritized list of rule groups that define which files Agents target for backup. Each rule group includes or excludes from backup one or more of the following items:

    • Predefined file group. A predefined collection of files or folders related by theme (pictures, data files) or location (My Documents folder).

    • Custom rule. Admin-defined set of specific files or folders based on any combination of folder path, file name, or extension.

Default backup behavior

Agents automatically perform backups based on a predefined Data-Only corporate backup policy. You can modify this policy, override it with group-level policies, or delete it and create a new corporate policy from scratch.

The Data-Only backup policy targets data of the user who is currently logged in to the computer. It configures both macOS and Window's based Agents to perform backups as follows:

  • Use smart scan technology to reduce the scope of system scans and backups
  • Include data from the user's profile, such the user's Documents, Desktop, Pictures, and Favorites folders
  • Exclude multimedia files, such as music and video files

Several items in this policy are unlocked, which allows group-level policies to override them. Users can override only the policy's unlocked inclusion and exclusion rules, by manually adding or removing files selected for backup. They cannot add files that are outside of the scope set by smart scan technology.

NOTE: Users in a group not covered by a corporate or group policy can manually select any file for backup. Therefore, if you want to control which files users back up, ensure that all users are covered by a policy.
Ability to lock policy components
You can lock individual rule groups so that other policies or users do not override them. You cannot lock options that specify the policy's scope or the functions users can perform on files in their backup set.

Suppose you do want to allow everyone in the company except Sales group members to back up audio files and to perform backups over metered connections. One way to accomplish this is to first define a corporate backup policy, as follows:

  • Create an unlocked rule group that includes audio files

  • Select the option to allow users to back up files over a metered connection

Then, create a policy applicable to the Sales group that defines the desired Sales-only behavior:

  • Create a locked rule group that excludes audio files

  • Clear the option that allows backups over metered connections

Because rules in group-level policies override unlocked corporate rules, Sales group members cannot back up audio files or perform backups over metered connections.
Import / export

You can export a backup policy to an XML file, modify its rules by hand, and then import the policy back into Connected. The ability to export and import a policy enables you to perform the following tasks:

  • Create a custom backup policy template containing common corporate rules.

    This template can then serve as a base for all future backup policies.

  • Duplicate a specific backup policy, and then customize it for another group of users.

  • Replicate a backup policy across various Connected hierarchies or geographical Connected instances.

    After exporting a backup policy, you can import it into any Connected hierarchy you manage or send it to other Connected administrators for import into groups under their administrative control.
Policy status

When you create a backup policy, you can either publish it or save it as a draft until you are ready for Agents to use it. Publishing a policy notifies Agents of the updated policy. The Policies page identifies the status of backup policies using these icons:

  • icon for unpublished backup policy  Unpublished draft

  • icon for published backup policy  Published draft

    Policies with a draft in progress include the qualifier: Has Draft icon

For detailed information about the backup feature, see Backup overview.