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Configure the global exclude list

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Overview

You can create a global exclusion list for file types, file names, and folders that you want to exclude from inSync backups.

The inSync Client excludes the files types that you specify in the global exclude list irrespective of the filters set at the folder level by the administrator or the user. For example, if you do not want inSync to back up .exe files from user devices, you must add .exe to the global exclude list.

inSync Client also excludes particular files that you specify in the global exclude list irrespective of the filters set at the folder level by the administrator or the user. For example, if you do not want inSync to back up a file, like Ntuser.dat, from user device you must add Ntuser.dat to the global exclude list.

Global exclusions are applicable only to file extensions and not applicable to file MIME types. 

Note: When you specify a particular file in the global exclude list, that file is excluded from backup irrespective of its location or the number of copies on the device.

To exclude folders from the backup operations, you must specify the folder name or a relative path to the folder. For example, Personal\Finance. In Windows, you use a backward slash (\) as the separator and in UNIX and Mac, you use a forward slash (/) as the separator. However, irrespective of the operating system, the inSync Client considers both formats and excludes the folders that you specify from the backup operations.

 Paths and Folders in global exclusion is not supported on mobile devices. For example, if you enter /DCIM as the exclude path, then the DCIM folder on a computer will not be backed up. However, the DCIM folder on a mobile device will be backed up. 

Scenarios for excluding folders from the backup operation

You have included the Druva folder within the E drive for backup (E:\Druva). The Druva folder includes the following subfolders:

  • E:\Druva\Personal\Finance
  • E:\Druva\Documents\Templates
  • E:\Druva\Resources
  • E:\Druva\Templates
Scenario Impact on the backup operation
In the Paths and Folders box, you specify Templates;Personal.

During the backup operation, the inSync Client excludes:

  • Templates and Personal subfolders from the Druva folder.
  • Templates subfolder from the Druva\Documents folder.
In the Paths and Folders box, you specify Documents\Templates.

During the backup operation, the inSync Client excludes the Templates subfolder from the Druva\Documents folder.

However, the inSync Client backs up the Templates subfolder from the Druva folder.
In the Paths and Folders box, you specify E:\Druva\Templates;E:\Druva\Personal.

During the backup operation, the inSync Client includes the Templates and Personal subfolders as the paths are not relative to the configured folder.
Note: You can configure the global exclude list only through profiles. You cannot do this on an individual user level.

Create a global exclusion list for files for SaaS Apps

To create a global exclusion list for files and folders,

  1. On the inSync Management Console menu bar, click Profiles.
  2. Click the profile for which you want to create the global exclude list.
  3. Under the Cloud Apps tab, click Edit. The Edit Profile window appears.
    cloud apps backup.PNG
  4. Click Global Exclusions.​​​​​ 
  5. In the Exclude File Types box, type the file types that you want to exclude from backup. The file extensions are automatically added to the adjacent field. If you do not see your file type, type the file extensions of those file types manually in the adjacent box. Ensure that you separate consecutive entries using a semicolon (;) and there is no white space between two entries. For example, if you want to exclude all executables and video files, enter the file types for these executables and video files in the Exclude Files box. The file extensions are automatically added to the adjacent box. If you want to remove a file type, click the file type. The exclusion of file types is supported for OneDrive and Google Drive only.
  6. Click Save.

Create a global exclusion list for folders for Cloud Apps

  • The Global Exclusion for the Exclude Paths option is supported for Exchange Online, Gmail, OneDrive, and Google Drive.
  • For Gmail and Exchange Online, only folder name or relative paths are supported for Exclude Paths. For example, Birthdays;United States holidays;Calendar
  • For Google Drive and OneDrive, folder or file name or relative paths are supported for Exclude Paths. For example, /Druva/Templates/Paths.txt;Templates

 

To create a global exclusion list for folders,

  1. On the inSync Management Console menu bar, click Profiles.
  2. Click the profile for which you want to create the global exclude list.
  3. Under the Cloud Apps tab, click Edit. The Edit Profile window appears.
    cloud apps backup.PNG
  4. Click Global Exclusions.

OneDrive_folder exclusion_April6.png​​​​​​

  1. In the Exclude Paths box, type the file or folder name or relative path to the files and folders that you want to exclude from backups. Ensure that you separate consecutive entries using a semicolon (;) and there is no white space between two entries.

 Example: Let's assume you have the following in your Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace accounts:

  • OneDrive and Google Drive: /Druva/Templates/Paths

  • Exchange Online and Gmail: /Templates

Global exclusion.png

  1. Click Save.

Excluding files and folders using regular expressions

Regular expressions are a sequence of characters that define a search pattern. In inSync, you can use regular expressions to define complex search patterns that match the criteria of the files or folders that you want to exclude. You can define different regular expressions for each operating system. 

 

 

  • Exclusion of files and folders using regular expressions is available for inSync Client v6.0 and later.
  • Exclusion of files and folders using regular expressions is not available for mobile devices.
  • The Regular Expression feature is not available for SaaS Apps.
  • Use only forward slash "/" as a path separator in regular expressions. inSync displays an error for regular expressions that contain a backslash "\".
  • For specifying case insensitive regular expression, use (?i) at the start of the expression. Example - (?i)%userprofile%/test. This excludes files and folders with names like test, TEST, teST.

regular expressions filled.png

Scenarios for excluding files and folders from the backup operation using regular expressions.

Scenario Regular Expression
Exclude a particular folder in the user's home directory. For example, you want to exclude the folder Pictures from C:\Users\Ernie but want to back up all other folders named Pictures from the device of the user.

C:/Users/Ernie/Pictures 

 

Exclude a specific subfolder inside a folder configured for backup using global variables. For example, you want to exclude the Administrator subfolder present in the User Profile folder.

%userprofile%/Administrator 

Note: ​

  • Apart from %username%, you must enter other system variables at the start of the regular expression. For example, %userprofile%/Desktop.
  • %appdata% system variable is not applicable for Linux Clients.

Include a specific folder and exclude all other files and folders inside the parent folder. For example, you want to back up only the folder named sales data inside the folder Reports but exclude other folders such as Marketing data, HR data, Operations data, and so on.

 Reports/[^sales data]
Exclude folders only from a specific drive. For example, you can exclude the folder named Sales from C drive (C:\) but inSync will continue to backup any folder named Sales from the other drives.  C:/Sales

Exclude folders that contain a specific set of characters in their folder name. For example, you can exclude any folder that contains the string Donotbackup in their folder name.

 Donotbackup 

Exclude specific files for each operating system from backing up. For example, you can exclude:

  • All .exe files from Windows OS.
  • All .dmg files from Mac OS.
  • Any file that ends with thumbs.db extension on Windows OS.

 

  • .*\.exe
  • .*\.dmg
  • .*thumbs\.db$