Avamar - Linux and Unix Filesystem Exclusion options for dynamic top level directory paths

Behavior Note:
The Avamar Linux and Unix Filesystem Plugins typically use absolute paths in the Dataset Exclude list. Wildcards can be used if needed to match specific patterns or criteria.

Important Consideration:
If the location of the data to be excluded changes—especially at a top-level directory—the exclusion rule may no longer apply, potentially resulting in unintended data being included in backups.

Important Note:
When an absolute path is used in an exclusion rule, and the location of the data changes, the exclusion may no longer match. As a result, the data could be unintentionally included in the backup.

Flexible Exclusion Strategy Using Wildcards in Avamar Datasets

To maintain effective exclusions without frequently modifying the Avamar dataset, consider using relative filesystem paths with wildcard patterns. This approach is especially useful when data locations may change under different top-level directories.

Example 1: Using Absolute Paths

Suppose the file to be excluded is located at:

/path1/app/data/file1.txt

Two exclusion patterns using absolute paths might be:

• /path1/app/data/**
  → Excludes all files and subdirectories under /path1/app/data/.

• /path1/**/data/file*
  → Excludes any file named file* under any data directory within /path1.

Limitation:
If the file is moved to a different top-level directory, such as:

/path2/app/data/file1.txt

These absolute path-based exclusions will no longer match, and the file may be backed up unintentionally.

Example 2: Using Relative Paths with Wildcards

To accommodate dynamic top-level directory changes, use a relative path with wildcards:

**/app?/data?/file1*

This pattern:

• Uses ** to match any directory depth.
• Uses ? to allow for slight variations in directory names.
• Matches file1* regardless of its top-level path.

Benefit:
This method provides a more flexible and resilient exclusion rule, reducing the need to update the dataset when directory structures change.