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Druva Documentation

How inSync backs up from external hard disk drives (HDDs) for various exclude external HDD settings?

OS: Windows

Backup behavior of inSync for external hard disk drives (HDDs)

This section describes how inSync backs up external hard drives connected to user devices with different backup settings.

Backup scenarios based on inSync profile settings

Scenario Exclude external HDD flag value Backup "All Drives" value in inSync Profile Backup status of external HDDs
1. False True USB: No
All other external drives: Yes
2. True  True USB: No
All other external drives: No

Note: To enable Exclude External HDD functionality, submit a request to Druva Support

Scenario 1

In this scenario, the Exclude external HDD flag is set to False, while the the profile is configured to backup “All Drives” from the user device. Thus, the backup behavior for external hard drives is as follows:

  • If the endpoint recognizes the external HDD as IDE or SCSI and running NTFS file system, inSync performs a backup of the external HDD.
  • If the endpoint recognizes the device  as USB or a storage not running NTFS - in either case, inSync does not back up data from that device.

Scenario 2

In this case, inSync will not be able to back up data from any of the external HDDs. This is due to the flag to exclude external HDD is enabled (set to True). inSync backs up only from the internal drives of the system. 

Backup scenarios with respect to inSync Client settings

Scenario Exclude external HDD flag value Visibility of external drive backup folder on inSync Client device  Backup status of external HDDs
1. True Not visible No backup
2. False Visible Successful backup

Scenario 1

The inSync Client does not display the folders located on external HDD for backup.  If the inSync Administrator configures a folder from external HDD for backup, the backup fails with the following messages in the logs:

[2017-03-25 03:42:06,872] [INFO] Skipping {{test}} as it is on an external storage device
[2017-03-25 03:42:07,105] [INFO] Skipping G:\ as it is an external drive

Scenario 2

Users can see folders from external HDD on inSync Client. Even the folders configured by the inSync administrator through inSync profiles will be backed up. Therefore, backups succeed from both local and external HDD folders.