By default, if any files or folders are excluded in a backup job, Backup Exec will not create or update the machine specific .DR file that maintains the list of backup sets used to restore the system to its most recent backup. It is possible to make a change to the registry to alter the default behavior.


Warning: Incorrect use of the Windows Registry Editor can have disastrous results on a server operating system. Great care should be taken when making changes to a Windows Registry. Registry modifications should only be carried out by persons experienced in the use of the Registry Editor application


To force a .DR file to be created or updated even though some files and/or folders are excluded, modify the DR Update Allow Excludes registry key which is located in the registry path given below on the media server : The below mentioned steps is only applicable from versions 8.6 until 10d
 

For 11d and above the key has been modified to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Backup Exec For Windows\Backup Exec\Engine\IDR

DR Update Allow Excludes -- is set to 1 by default when IDR option is installed

Note:  Changing the value to 1 (True) allows the .DR file to be created or updated when the files are excluded.  Changing the value to 0 (False) does not allow the .DR to be created or updated when the files are excluded.

For a detailed procedure on modifying the above registry key, follow the steps given below:

Warning: Incorrect use of the Windows Registry Editor can have disastrous results on a server operating system. Great care should be taken when making changes to a Windows Registry. Registry modifications should only be carried out by persons experienced in the use of the Registry Editor application.

The below mentioned is only applicable till 10d. For 11d and above the registry path would be HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Backup Exec For Windows\Backup Exec\Engine\IDR


1.  Click the Start button and then click Run....

2.  In the Run window, next to Open:, type Regedt32.

3.  Click the OK button.

4.  In the Registry Editor window, click the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on Local Machine window

5.  In the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on Local Machine window, double-click on SOFTWARE (Figure 1).

Figure 1

 

6.  Under SOFTWARE, double-click on VERITAS.

7.  Under VERITAS, double-click on Backup Exec (Figure 2).

Figure 2

 

8.  Under Backup Exec, double-click on Engine (Figure 3).

Figure 3

 

9.  Under Engine, click to select IDR (Figure 4).

Figure 4

 

10. In the right pane, double-click the DR Update Allow Excludes registry key (Figure 5).

Figure 5

 

11. In the DWORD Editor window, under Data: (Figure 6), change the value to 1 to allow the .DR file to be created or updated even when some files / folders are excluded.

Figure 6

 

The affect on a backup strategy
Now, when selecting an entire drive for backup and then expressly excluding certain files or folders either by deselecting those files or folders or by implementing global excludes the machine specific DR file will get created or updated.

What this change does not do is allow the machine specific DR file to get created or updated when a backup of a select number of files and/or folders is run. What this means is that if the desired end result is to backup a specific set of files or folders and have the machine specific DR file get created or updated, then the drive root must be fully selected and then deselect any files or folders that should not be included in the backup. The effect is that the entire drive will be specified for backup and the deselected files and folders will have exclude entries. An example can be seen below in figure 7.

Figure 7