Cleaning up storage?

[kguarnotta]

I added another computer to my server connector. This was so I could access the computer remotely. I also use this computer so store movies via an attached external hard drive. I don’t want to use the Sentinel to back up this external drive.
Anyway - I set it up, then went away for a week - and I guess by default the Sentinel was backing up all the drives on this computer. It quickly overflowed the storage on the server. (which previously was less than half full).

It was so bad, I couldn’t run the Computer & Backup program from the Dashboard, as there was not enough room on the server. I went on the server, and moved some non-essential directories to a local machine. Now I can access the Computers & Backup. I turned off backup for this other machine, and told the server to get rid of anything on it that was non-essential.

I’ve got a tiny bit more space, but I think I have basically backed up a bunch of junk I don’t need to be backed up, and I’m not sure the best way to get it off the server, to regain some space.

In other words - how do I safely delete/clean up the Client Computer Backups directory?

Thanks.

[Gramps]

Open the backup of the computer that have the extra disc from the dashboard and select delete next cleanup

either wait for Saturday night or go to task scheduler and manually run it

[kguarnotta]

Thanks for the clear screenshot and prompt reply. I am still running Storage Server 2008 R2. I can’t find an option to run this task. Where would that be?

I disable backup for both of my computers. The one I actually want to be backed up, and the one I don’t care about. When I deleted the “backup” for the 2nd computer, I told it to delete the backups stored. But it is not doing that. I’m not sure how to get it to do it.

Ijust found a way to log into my server remotely, and to manually delete the folder that has all the backup data. As far as I can tell - there is no way to selectively delete backed up data (ie just the backups from one computer).

[Gramps]

don’t remote in and delete stuff.
The computer you removed will not be gone till cleanup runs
this is from 2008R2 right click and click run
wait a minute or so then click refresh on the right and status should be running

[kguarnotta]

That is great Gramps. Thanks. I tried it, and it appears to be working, although I don’t seem to be getting as much space freed as I thought I would. Your explanation and pictures helped A LOT!

Now it has run for a little over 30 minutes. According to the “Task Scheduler” the status is Running, but according to Last run Result the operation completed successfully

I’m thinking maybe the backup backed up another drive I did not intend it to, and that took up a lot of space? If you delete something on a client computer (intentionally) how long does it stay on the server in the backup. Where do you adjust that setting?

Again - THANKS.

Side note - should I be looking to upgrade my server to Windows Server 2012R2 from Windows Server 2008R2? If so - is there a spot that explains how to upgrade my server? I have some recollection that there was no benefit to do so, but that was years ago. Maybe now it makes sense to do so?

A little more info - when I look at the Client Computer Backups folder on my server, it has files that total 1.2 TB on my server that are all dated from this evening - from before I ran a cleanup. Ie they are all time stamped from between 6:50 PM and 7:53 PM. I ran my clean up at 7:24 PM.
I’m not sure what could be in there?
My understanding of my server, is that I have 2 x 2 TB drive, for a total storage of 2 TB, or 1.75 accoding to File Explorer. Now 1.2 TB is filled

[Gramps]

It takes a while to run, just be patient and stay out of the backup folder with windows explorer . Hit refresh tomorrow and see what it says.
Last time it ran it was successful. You will have to wait till it says completed to see if it was also successful.

Client backups are supposed to be “controlled” by the settings in the dashboard. Computers, right hand pane more tasks. But the monthly does not delete. So if it is set to 6 months and you have a machine that has been backed up for a year, you probably have backups available from a year ago. So you have to go to each old backup and change from manage auto, to clean next time.

There is no upgrade. You can replace it with a Thecus box running Storage Server 2012R2. I think the major difference in 2012R2 is there is no limit to windows server backup. 2008R2 is limited to 2tb. With 2012R2 you get storage spaces, data dedupe and if you are into the cloud it will backup to it or there is also an O365 add-in.

[kguarnotta]

ok, I’ll let it run overnight. I went in and reduced the backup retention policy to the minimim (ie 1 day, 1 week, 1 month. I have been running this server for a few years, and it save my self in a big way once. At this point I don’t think I need my backups - everything is current. So that is why I have reduced the retention time.

Once it is all cleaned up, and I have my storage space back again - I’ll go in and set it back to the defauls retention poilicy, and set it to back up my machine again, as it did before. I’ll just be more careful about excluding specific folders.

THANKS AGAIN.

I’ll update tomorrow - when I see how it acted overnight.

[Gramps]

You did not understand what I said. If you set it to one month it will not delete the monthly’s. You have to manually change from auto to delete.

And since these are Single Instance Storage reducing to 1 1 1 may not free up space. You have to find the backup that was big and delete it

[kguarnotta]

Ok, sorry, I misunderstood part of your post. I still don’t understand how to manually delete backups?

[Gramps]

Look at my first picture

[kguarnotta]

I don’t get windows like that in Storage Server 2008? I see a way online - where they describe using a command prompt and DiskShadow.
When I list the number of shadows - I get 34.

I’m thinking that I should delete the oldest shadow copies. ie go into DiskShadow; the Delete Shadows Oldest C:

[Gramps]

NOOO!!! {big smiley}

I just realized when I have been typing stuff in brackets it does not show. You have missed out on some emotion LOL

[Gramps]

2008R2 is the same
right click on a computer>view properties and it list the backups, dbl click one or click view details
As you can see my monthly is set for 12 months, but here are 3 year old backups. You have to change it to delete. It is a bug and it is still a bug in the newer versions. No one is left from the team that built it so it costs too much to fix.
Microsoft, not WD

[kguarnotta]

ok, I think I get it now. I didn’t get the right click option.
So I’ve gone into Backup Details I’m going to pick some old ones, and change them from Manage Backup Automatically to Delete This Backup When Cleanup Runs

Thanks for the clarification.

I see my backups go all the way back to Jan 2013. I would imagine that I don’t need any backups from 2015 and older. I see 4 backups for 2016 still there.

[kguarnotta]

Update:
I went through the steps you outlined, and deleted all my old backups - as I don’t feel I need them. I only saved the last two backups. Individually are 6293 GB each, or 12,586.2 GB which is 1.2 TB (right?).

My server has 2x2 TB drives. File Explorer shows my server as having 1.75 TB of space, I guess the other .25 TB is taken for OS?

File Explorer also shows that I have 856 GB of free space on the server. So I guess 1.2 TB of backup, and 856 GB of free space.

Lastly - looking at the server I see a Windows Hotfix (Windows 6.1-KB2686867-x64). I think this is a Hotfix I installed a long time ago. Can I delete this file?

[Gramps]

Where/how did you calculate the 6293 figure?

D: I think ends up being 1.75 If the client backup folder is 1.2tb, I don’t see how you have 856gb free?

I would not uninstall the hotfix. Just how much space will you gain? What might break?

[kguarnotta]

When I look at the details of the backup, from the dashboard, it lists the source and amount of each backup. I add them up and get 6293 GB for each backup - and I have kept two backups. They are essentially the same size each.

When I go to File explorer thru the remote desktop, I see 856 GB free of 1.75 TB

As for the hotfix - I don’t mean to uninstall it. I just mean the .msu file (which I think is the installation file). I know it is not a lot, but I’m just trying to do what I can, before I need to start buying additional hard drives for the server. It looks like getting compatible hard drives is not easy.

[kguarnotta]

Ok, I am now looking in a different location - Server Folders
I right click on the folders and see the following properties:
Client Computer Backups - Folder Size 606.3 GB
Kevin - Folder Size 320.9 GB
unKilo - Folder Size 13.8 GB

All the other folders list size as 0.

When I look at Hard Drives I see
C: 60 GB capacity 47.6 GB used 12.4 GB free
D:1802.8 GB capacity 946.2 GB used 856.6 GB free

[kguarnotta]

I am now going through the Hard Drive properties - Drive Cleanup. I will try that for each drive.

I also notice that the info I am backing up is from a couple locations on my computer.
Program Files - 704 GB (my programs, windows etc.)
Storage - 931 GB (These are docs, spreadhseets, CAD files etc)
Photographs - 4657 GB (these are photos, videos)

Given that my Photographs take up such a huge amount of space on the server, would it make sense to use a different type of back up for that folder? The Photographs folder is actually a separate external hard drive to my desktop.

Lastly - will this drive be compatible for the server? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136365 When I look up compatible drives it says “The Drive Part Number must contain the full description including any suffix (ex: WD2002FYPS-02W3B0)” but I don’t see a suffix for this drive on the listing page.

It looks like it should be, but it seems like they are very finicky about drives. If I add two of these, does that increase my available space to 4 TB.

[Gramps]

it should be backing up the entire computer except for recorded TV and ost files. For some reason MS decided not to get those.

I doubt that drive would be compatible without making edits to the whitelist.xml The problem with purchasing a drive online is it does not tell you the firmware version. The characters after the model number.

You can try to wade through this to understand client backups
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/33d4ca64-ecee-4211-9391-05d054494cbe/client-computer-backup-windows-server-2012-essentials?forum=winserveressentials