User Guide

Table Of Contents

this case, you need not re-create the initial full image, so the backup time is not crucial, and

the restore time will be minimal.

Alternatively, if you are interested in saving only the last data state to be able to restore it in

case of system failure, consider the differential backup. It is particularly effective if your data

changes tend to be little as compared to the full data volume.

The same is true for incremental backup. In addition, it is most useful when you need

frequent backups and possibility to roll back to any of stored states. Having created a full

backup once, if you then create an incremental backup each day of a month, you will get the

same result as if you created full backups every day. However, the cost in time and disk

space (or removable media usage) will be as little as one tenth as much.

It is important to note that the above arguments are nothing but examples for your

information. Feel free to make up your own backup policy in accordance with your specific

tasks and conditions. Acronis True Image Enterprise Server is flexible enough to meet any

real-life demands.

An incremental or differential backup created after a disk is defragmented might be

considerably larger than usual. This is because the defragmentation program changes file

locations on disk and the backups reflect these changes. Therefore, it is recommended that

you re-create a full backup after disk defragmentation.

3.3 Acronis Secure Zone

The Acronis Secure Zone is a special hidden partition for storing archives on the computer

system itself. For archive security purposes, ordinary applications cannot access it. In the

Acronis True Image Enterprise Server Wizards’ windows the zone is listed along with all

partitions available for storing archives. Acronis Secure Zone is necessary for using Acronis

Startup Recovery Manager and Acronis Snap Restore features (see below).

Acronis Secure Zone is always available for archive creation as long as there is space for the

backup file. If there is not enough space, older archives will be deleted to create space.

Acronis True Image Enterprise Server uses the following scheme to clean up Acronis Secure

Zone:

• If there is not enough free space in the zone to create a backup, the program deletes the

oldest full backup with all subsequent incremental/differential backups.

• If there is only one full backup (with subsequent incremental/differential backups) left

and a full backup is in progress, then the old full backup and incremental/differential

backups are deleted.

• Otherwise, (only one full backup left, and an incremental/differential backup is in

progress) you will get a message about space error. In that case you will have to either

re-create the full backup or increase Acronis Secure Zone.

Thus, you can back up data automatically on a schedule (see

Chapter 8. Scheduling tasks

and not worry about zone overflow issues. However, if you keep long chains of incremental

backups, it will be a good practice to periodically check the zone free space, indicated on the

second page of the Manage Acronis Secure Zone wizard.

For information on how to create, resize or delete Acronis Secure Zone using this wizard, see

Chapter 9 Managing Acronis Secure Zone