How to create backups of Avid? Interplay database and projects while live, in the background, using Grsync.

One of the worst fears in the broadcast/production/post production world is to lose the projects and media on a live production system. In this guide, I will cover how to do a “live” backup for the Avid Interplay? (work for projects as well, either local or shared) in the background using the application Grsync, a GUI extension of the powerful Rsync command line, a very well know tool in the Unix world. You can visit the project web page at https://sourceforge.net/projects/grsync/

Grsync is a graphical user interface for the Rsync tool. It is a cross-platform application, works on Linux, Windows and Mac OSX. Grsync can be used to synchronize files with removable devices, backup files to a network drive, etc.

 For this guide, I’m using the Windows version, but you can do the same on Linux and OSX, using their respective scheduling tools. Grsync can use different backup sessions, hence different backup jobs can be run on different schedules. Grsync was ported to Windows by Adam Moore.

 Install

 You can download Grsync for Windows from this following location

https://sourceforge.net/projects/grsync-win/files/grsync-win/Windows%20Installer/

 Double click the installer and accept the default location (C:\Program Files\Grsync)

Note: if you are using 64-bit Windows, you will need to run Grsync in Compatibility Mode:

1. Right-click the Grsync icon on the desktop.
2. Select the Compatibility tab
3. Check run this program in compatibility mode for Windows XP (Service Pack 3)

Configuring Grsync

Launch Grsync and start the configuration. I would advise leaving the following settings as defaults in the Preferences menu:

• Show Rsync output by default
• Show error list when finished
• Create a new session. This one will be the one the Windows Task Scheduler will launch automatically later.
• The source directory is the where the projects, or the Interplay database, are located. You can add the entry manually typing in, a paste from the original location path, or can navigate to it. Please select the root folder for the backup (i.e. Avid Shared Projects).
• The destination directory is your backup location, ideally a network shared folder, or another storage.

• Note: you can create more than one session.

Setting Session Options

Next, set the options that you'll need for your backup. Here are few suggestions:

Basic Options tab:

• Preserve time (mandatory)
• Preserve permissions (optional)
• Delete on destination (DANGER, use with caution!)
• Verbose (almost mandatory)
• Show transfer progress (mandatory)
• Skip newer (optional)

Here I’m showing the settings I made for the Interplay database backup.

Testing the Backup Session With a Simulated Backup

Once everything is configured, you have the option want to do a simulated backup to make sure that everything is setup correctly. To simulate a backup session, click the Simulation button (alt+S).

• If you see the files you expect to be backed up -- and you don't see any errors, then you are good to go.

Once your simulated backup runs without errors:

1. Go ahead and run your first backup: Click the Execute option from the File menu
2. Save the session so you can automate it later.

Automating Grsync Backups using Windows Task Scheduler for Windows 7, Vista, and Server 2008

Open Task Scheduler from Control Panel > Administrative Options.
To get started, click the Action menu and select Create Task.

Set the General tab options:  

• Enter a descriptive name for your Grsync job in the Name box.
• Select the following Security options:
• Run whether user is logged on or not.
• Run with highest privileges.
• Configure for: drop-down menu: make sure to select the "Windows Server 2003, Windows XP or Windows 2000" option.

Set the Triggers tab options:  

• Click the New button to create a new trigger and select On a Schedule from the drop-down menu.
• For settings, select a schedule when you want to run the Grsync backup job.
• Make sure that the Enabled box is checked.

Note: if you want to run this several times during the day, especially useful for projects backup, use the RepeatTask every option.

Set the Actions tab options:

• Click the New button to create a new Action and select Start a program from the drop-down menu.
  

• Click the Browse button to navigate to the location where you installed Grsync (C:\Program Files\Grsync\bin\grsync.exe).
• In the add arguments box, enter the following: -e name-of-your-Grsync-session (iplay in this example)
• In the Start In (optional) box, enter the following: C:\Program Files\Grsync\bin

 On the Conditions tab options:  

• Enable the Start the task only if the computer is on AC power option.

 On the Settings tab, select the following options:

• Allow task to be run on demand.
• Stop the task if it runs longer than 3 days (initial set if there is a huge amount of data to be copied).
  

1. Click OK to close the Create Task window and set the username and pass to automatically run the task. Enter an admin user and its password.

All set, you can run the task now.