How does the Dataset Exclude work in Avamar Windows Client Image Level backups?
Summary: This article describes in more detail how the Dataset Exclude works in Avamar Windows Client Image Level backups.
Instructions
As per Avamar User Guide for VMWare documented process, the following can be configured on Avamar Dataset as exclude on Image Level backups for Windows VM Machines:
Exclude files with path and filter Excludes the files with path and filter from the backup for all the partitions. It is not limited to primary partitions. Type the full path of the file or folder or the filter path of the files and folders. Separate multiple entries with a comma. To exclude files with path and filter, type the path in the following format: Start with driver letter ● End with "/" to exclude a folder ● End without "/" to exclude a file ● Use "*" as a wildcard in the filename to exclude all files. Do not use "*" as a wildcard in the file path. For example: ○ *:/*/*.TXT is not supported. ○ D:/folder/*.txt is supported. ○ D:/folder/* is supported.
During the backup, the following happens with the Image of the client:
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The Exclude pattern is identified and the excluded files and folders are traversed and the debug image log shows:
2021/02/19-20:11:12.90914 [VcbImageBackupAssistThread] exclude file/folder: C:/Program Files (x86)/Program/ 2021/02/19-20:11:12.90922 [VcbImageBackupAssistThread] exclude file/folder: D:/Program Files (x86)/Program/ 2021/02/19-20:11:12.90928 [VcbImageBackupAssistThread] exclude file/folder: D:/Apps/Folder/
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Files larger than 1MB and matching the exclude pattern selection are overwritten with a pattern that is easily deduplicated.
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All other files and folders's blocks are backed up.
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The excluded file(s) shows as recoverable under the File Level Restore (FLR) of the VM client.
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The excluded file(s) data regions in in backup copy is overwritten with a repeating exclude pattern that is easily de-duplicable.
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The excluded file(s) metadata (file owner/group permission, modification/access times, and file attribute) will still be backed up.
NOTES:
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If you exclude a file(s) during backup, and then perform a restore of the entire file system which contained the excluded file(s), or just a restore of the excluded file(s), the excluded file is not usable to the guest virtual machine.
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If you change the exclusion path or filename between backups, the next backup is a full (level 0) backup.
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If you change the exclude pattern in the dataset, the next backups are full (level 0)
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The exclude does not work if there are issues with quiesce of the VM machine. The image log would contain this message if quiesce failed:
avvcbimage Warning <43129>: Consistent level is not APP_CONSISTENT ,skip doing page file exclusion
If this is a subsequent backup, the behavior would be that the job may run long (due to automatically CBT level 0 because of excluded file change) and job may timed out OR may succeeded but without excluding the intended file targets.
Additional Information
Avamar 19.3
Avamar 19.2
Avamar 19.1
Avamar 18.2