Best way to back up a league?

ctorg · 11-30-2006, 12:22 PM

This is something I've been kind of struggling with. I'm running a fast-paced league that is quickly piling up seasons. I'm 16 seasons in now, and I back it up at the end of each one by using WinRAR to archive the contents of the league folder. Well, it's becoming a longer and longer process, and I plan on simming though at least another 50 years before I take over a team. By that time, it will probably take quite a while to back things up.

I've noticed that most of the time goes into backing up the plethora of small text files that the game tends to generate over time. It seems redundant to keep backing up the same files again and again when they haven't change. For instance, since I have backed up 16 years, I have 16 backups of the first year's transaction files.

Does anyone know of a non-tedious way I can create backups of only files that have changed since the last time I backed up? It would make things much faster, I believe.

sporr · 11-30-2006, 01:15 PM

If you're simming a season at a time, you should be able to use the options in your archive program to only backup the most recently changed files.

1998 Yankees · 11-30-2006, 04:52 PM

Have you tried Windows (assuming you are using that OS) Briefcase? Basically, it's a synchronized folder copy that you double-click the icon of and it goes to check the linked original files to see if any are out of synch with the folder copies (i.e., recently created or modified files versus what's in the Briefcase already). It then offers to copy just those different files to the Briefcase folder and if any original files have been deleted, it also offers to delete them in the Briefcase. You have an opportunity to inspect what it is about to do before you go ahead with it, changing the direction of copying or cancelling it altogether, and it only addresses the differences, not wasting time copying the unchanged files over and over. I have used it at work to back up databases totaling 800 MB so far, so Briefcase can handle large file sizes and numbers. I have not used it in conjunction with OOTPB, but it may be worth a look:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307885

eriqjaffe · 11-30-2006, 05:06 PM

ctorg, check out this thread:

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...d.php?t=123858

In particular, there's some stuff I posted on the second page about backing up incrimentally using an open-source utility called 7zip.

zekester91 · 11-30-2006, 05:17 PM

nothing to see here,

disposableheros · 11-30-2006, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eriqjaffe

...7zip....

"!

eriqjaffe · 11-30-2006, 06:00 PM

For the record, the batch file should contain:

"c:\program files\7-zip\7z.exe" u LeagueBackup.7z -r -up1q1r2x1y2z1w2 -x!*.7z -x!*.zip -x!*.rar -t7z -ms=off

The first part would depend on the path to 7-zip...

7-zip can be downloaded here.

ctorg · 12-01-2006, 08:43 AM

I'll try that. Thanks.

11-30-2006, 12:22 PM	#1
ctorg Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 9,848	Best way to back up a league? This is something I've been kind of struggling with. I'm running a fast-paced league that is quickly piling up seasons. I'm 16 seasons in now, and I back it up at the end of each one by using WinRAR to archive the contents of the league folder. Well, it's becoming a longer and longer process, and I plan on simming though at least another 50 years before I take over a team. By that time, it will probably take quite a while to back things up. I've noticed that most of the time goes into backing up the plethora of small text files that the game tends to generate over time. It seems redundant to keep backing up the same files again and again when they haven't change. For instance, since I have backed up 16 years, I have 16 backups of the first year's transaction files. Does anyone know of a non-tedious way I can create backups of only files that have changed since the last time I backed up? It would make things much faster, I believe. __________________ My music "When the trees blow back and forth, that's what makes the wind." - Steven Wright Fjord emena pancreas thorax fornicate marmalade morpheme proteolysis smaxa cabana offal srue vitriol grope hallelujah lentils

11-30-2006, 04:52 PM	#3
1998 Yankees Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yankee Stadium, back in 1998. Posts: 8,645	Have you tried Windows (assuming you are using that OS) Briefcase? Basically, it's a synchronized folder copy that you double-click the icon of and it goes to check the linked original files to see if any are out of synch with the folder copies (i.e., recently created or modified files versus what's in the Briefcase already). It then offers to copy just those different files to the Briefcase folder and if any original files have been deleted, it also offers to delete them in the Briefcase. You have an opportunity to inspect what it is about to do before you go ahead with it, changing the direction of copying or cancelling it altogether, and it only addresses the differences, not wasting time copying the unchanged files over and over. I have used it at work to back up databases totaling 800 MB so far, so Briefcase can handle large file sizes and numbers. I have not used it in conjunction with OOTPB, but it may be worth a look: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307885 Last edited by 1998 Yankees; 11-30-2006 at 04:59 PM.

11-30-2006, 05:06 PM	#4
eriqjaffe Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Under The Christmas Fish Posts: 7,628	ctorg, check out this thread: http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...d.php?t=123858 In particular, there's some stuff I posted on the second page about backing up incrimentally using an open-source utility called 7zip. __________________

11-30-2006, 05:17 PM	#5
zekester91 All Star Starter Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 1,122	nothing to see here, Last edited by zekester91; 11-30-2006 at 05:18 PM. Reason: silly me had the thing in reverse :)

11-30-2006, 06:00 PM	#7
eriqjaffe Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Under The Christmas Fish Posts: 7,628	For the record, the batch file should contain: "c:\program files\7-zip\7z.exe" u LeagueBackup.7z -r -up1q1r2x1y2z1w2 -x!.7z -x!.zip -x!*.rar -t7z -ms=off The first part would depend on the path to 7-zip... 7-zip can be downloaded here. __________________

11-30-2006, 01:15 PM	#2
sporr Global Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Muscatine, IA Posts: 8,277	If you're simming a season at a time, you should be able to use the options in your archive program to only backup the most recently changed files.

12-01-2006, 08:43 AM	#8
ctorg Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 9,848	I'll try that. Thanks. __________________ My music "When the trees blow back and forth, that's what makes the wind." - Steven Wright Fjord emena pancreas thorax fornicate marmalade morpheme proteolysis smaxa cabana offal srue vitriol grope hallelujah lentils