snaprunner

A python wrapper for Drive Snapshot.

Drive Snapshot is a simple but effective backup tool for creating image backups.

snaprunner is a command line utility which itself calls the Drive Snapshot executable. It adds certain features which Drive Snapshot is missing and which are especially useful for scheduled backup scenarios.

Project Home

Project snaprunner.

Features

• Alternately creates full and differential backups in certain intervals.
• Clean-up of either differential and or full backups which are older than a given amount of days.
• Status mail upon successful/failed backup runs.
• Automatically creates meaningful backup file names by including machine, drive, date/time and backup generation count.
• Provides simulation of backup and clean-up.

Issues

• Does not support backing up multiple drives in a single snapshot (e.g. C:+D:).
• So far no installer/standalone version. Script only, so python has to be installed.

Requirements

Python 2.x has to be installed.

Example 1

python.exe snaprunner.py "\\10.0.0.200\Public\backups\" C: --diffcount 10 --cmd C:\devtools\Snapshot\snapshot.exe --exclude \Sandbox --mail_to nobody@fakemail.com --mail_from "snapshot <root@fakemail.com>" --mail_smtp mail.com

• Creates backups of drive C: in directory \\10.0.0.200\Public\backups\
• Creates a full backup after every 10th differential backup
• Expects snapshot.exe in C:\devtools\Snapshot\snapshot.exe
• Excludes the Directory C:\Sandbox
• Success/Fail-Mail is sent to nobody@fakemail.com via SMTP Server mail.com

NOTE: If python.exe is not set in PATH, use the full path (e.g. C:\python27\python.exe).

NOTE: command lines like this are indented to be used in task scheduler to run hourly, daily, weekly etc.

Example 2

python.exe snaprunner.py "\\10.0.0.200\Public\backups\" C: --diffcount 10 --cmd C:\devtools\Snapshot\snapshot.exe -dd 60 -d 90 --exclude \Sandbox --mail_to nobody@fakemail.com --mail_from "snapshot <root@fakemail.com>" --mail_smtp mail.com

• Same as example 1 but with clean up:
• -dd 60 Deletes differential backups older then 60 days.
• -d 90 Deletes all backups older then 90 days.

NOTE: -d does never delete full backups if there are any differential backups which are not deleted and which depend on the full backup.

NOTE: Use option --simulate if you are unsure about the delete options. --simulate does neither create a backup nor deletes any files. A status mail is created however.

Usage

usage: snaprunner.py [-h] [--cmd CMD] [--diffcount X]
                     [--exclude [EXCLUDE [EXCLUDE ...]]]
                     [--argsfile ARGS_FILE] [--simulate] [--delete DAYS]
                     [--deletediff DAYS] [--mail-to MAIL_TO]
                     [--mail-from MAIL_FROM] [--mail-smtp MAIL_SMTP]
                     [--mail-ssl] [--mail-user MAIL_USER]
                     [--mail-password MAIL_PASSWORD] [--mail-debug]
                     backupdir drive

positional arguments:
  backupdir             directory containing the backup files
  drive                 drive to back up. e.g. C:

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --cmd CMD             Path for snapshot binary snapshot64.exe or
                        snapshot.exe. (default: snapshot.exe)
  --diffcount X         Create X differential backups after every full backup.
                        0 = only full backups. (default: 0)
  --exclude [EXCLUDE [EXCLUDE ...]]
                        Excludes given file(s) or folder(s) (default: None)
  --argsfile ARGS_FILE, -af ARGS_FILE
                        Additional command line arguments for snapshot are
                        read form this file. If not specified, the following
                        arguments are used by default: --CreateDir
                        --AutoBackupSize:512 -L0 -Gx -W. (default: None)
  --simulate            Does not call snapshot nor deletes any files. All
                        messages are printed and mail is sent. (default:
                        False)
  --delete DAYS, -d DAYS
                        Delete all backups which are older then DAYS days.
                        Full backups are not deleted if there are any
                        differential backups depending on them which are kept.
                        (default: None)
  --deletediff DAYS, -dd DAYS
                        Delete differential backups which are older then DAYS
                        days. (default: None)

mail options:
  --mail-to MAIL_TO     Mail address for status mail. (default: None)
  --mail-from MAIL_FROM
                        Sender mail address for mail. Required if --mail_to is
                        specified. (default: None)
  --mail-smtp MAIL_SMTP
                        Smtp server for mailing. Required if --mail_to is
                        specified. (default: None)
  --mail-ssl            Use SSL (port 465) for sending mail. (default: False)
  --mail-user MAIL_USER
                        User for mailing if authentication is needed.
                        (default: None)
  --mail-password MAIL_PASSWORD
                        User for mailing if authentication is needed.
                        (default: None)
  --mail-debug          Outputs messages for debugging mail issues. (default:
                        False)