View your backup policy

The administrative backup policy that applies to you consists of two types of rules that define which files the Connected Agent protects and which backup-related actions Connected applications let your perform.

• Admin rules. The set of rules and allowed actions defined by administrative backup policy. See details.

  While viewing the backup policy's admin rules, you can determine the following:

  • Whether the Agent backs up files over a metered connection. If policy prevents backups over a metered connection, when you use one, the Agent keeps track of protected files that change. The next time that you connect to the network over a nonmetered connection, the Agent backs up these files.
  • Whether you can view or download files from your backup set. If policy allows, you can use the Connected web application to view or download files from your backup set to any device.
  • Whether the Agent uses smart scan technology. To supplement its continuous backup, the Agent occasionally scans your computer searching for modified files and backing them up. These scans occur each time you install or upgrade the Agent, restart the Agent (such as when you restart your computer), or when rules in the Agent's administrative backup policy change. Smart scan technology enables Agents to perform these scans faster than normal by scanning only the folders most likely to contain your data.
    If the Agent uses smart scan technology, it does not scan or backup files in a predefined set of system-level folders. In addition, when managing which files your Agent backs up, you cannot select files from these folders. See folder list.

    Backup policies that use smart scan technology do not scan or back files up from the following folders:

    • Windows-based computers (all drives):

      • \$Recycle.Bin\*

      • \MSOCache\*

      • \Program Files (x86)\*

      • \Program Files\*

      • \recovery\*

      • \System Volume Information\*

      • \Windows\*

    • macOS-based computers:

      • /Volumes/%/.fseventsd/*

      • /Volumes/%/.Spotlight-V100/*

      • /Volumes/%/.Trash/*

      • /Volumes/%/.Trashes/*

      • /Volumes/%/Applications/*

      • /Volumes/%/Backups.backupdb/*

      • /Volumes/%/bin/*

      • /Volumes/%/dev/*

      • /Volumes/%/etc/*

      • /Volumes/%/Library/*

      • /Volumes/%/opt/*

      • /Volumes/%/private/*

      • /Volumes/%/sbin/*

      • /Volumes/%/System/*

      • /Volumes/%/tmp/*

      • /Volumes/%/usr/*

      • /Volumes/%/var/*

      • /Volumes/%/Volumes/*

    NOTE: The folders in these lists are subject to change without prior notice.

  • Whether the Agent skips drives or volumes. Similar to smart scan technology, skipping drives and volumes enables Agents to perform system scans faster. If policy skips drives or volumes, the Agent does not scan or backup files in them. In addition, when managing which files your Agent backs up, you cannot add files from these locations to it.

  • Which items the Agent includes or excludes from backup. The policy contains a set of admin rules that define which items the Agent includes and excludes from backup by default. There are two types of admin rules: locked () and unlocked (). Locked rules have higher priority than unlocked rules.

• User rules. The set of rules that Connected creates when you modify backup selections through either the web application or the device's file system. For information about creating these types of rules, see Manage backups.

For a detailed explanation and example of how Agents use rules to determine which files to back up, see How Agents process backup policy rules.

To view your backup policy

1. Do one of the following:

   • In the upper-right corner of the Connected web application, click your name, and then click My Profile.

   • Right-click the Connected icon () in the Windows notification area (for macOS, click the icon in the menu bar), point to Connected web application, and then click View Policy.

2. To view the user rules you created for a specific device, click Manage Backup, and then under DEVICES, click the device name.

   User rules appear in the order you created them. The first rule in the list (newest) has highest priority and the last rule has the least.

3. To view admin rules applicable to all of your devices, click Admin Rules, and then under VIEWING, click Backup Policy.