IBM CD Showcase/OS2_CD_ROM.iso/smce0001/psns/demo/os2/maghelp.hlp

OS/2 Help File | 1993-09-30 | 57.0 KB | 1,661 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Introduction ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

PSnS is a program which allows you to safeguard your system against possible
loss of information. PSnS has the facilities to take backups of files
automatically or manually, and can restore these files selectively.

PSnS achieves automatic backup by means of a system of rulebooks. A rulebook is
a file containing information about which files you want to back up, and to
which device. When PSnS notices that you have updated a file or files, it
decides if they should be backed up by this system of rulebooks.

There are two types of rulebook; Local rulebooks and Global rulebooks.

Local rulebooks are for the individual user, so that he or she can ensure that
the files which they consider the most important are backed up to the device of
their choice. For example, a programmer and a secretary would need to keep
backups of different types of file.

Global rulebooks, on the other hand, are provided for the use of many users on
a local area network. They are intended to be used to ensure that files which
are generally considered to be of importance to the company or department are
backed up - providing greater security by not depending on the individual
priorities of the user. Hence the file specifications in global rulebooks are
likely to be more general, and the frequency of suggested backup lower.

Rulebooks also contain information about the device to which files should be
backed up.  PSnS can use OS/2 supported drives which the machine can access
directly, and many external storage devices.  For example, a disk on a remote
host machine that can be accessed by file transfer commands, or an optical disk
drive may be used. It can cope with removable volumes and their (relatively)
limited size, and has the ability to split large files across volumes, keeping
track of where particular files have been sent for back up.

PSnS will carry out automatic backups on two occasions:

o when it notices that a file has been updated more times than are specified in
  its rulebook entry

o at a certain time of day.
 This means that a user who wants to take backups but does not like PSnS
carrying them out automatically during the day can back up all the files
necessary at night. As long as the process of backup does not require diskettes
or other removable volumes to be inserted, then backup will take place
automatically.

PSnS can also be set into a manual backup mode. In this mode PSnS acts in the
same way as conventional backup programs and will only perform backups when
specifically requested by the user.

PSnS offers several other functions -- the ability to compress files as they
are backed up, and to substitute your own compression function to achieve
maximum space-saving, and to keep different numbers of old copies
('generations') of files.  Older copies are automatically deleted when fresh
backups are made. It also backs up its own control files whenever it takes a
backup, and so can be used to restore an entire system, including itself, after
a full crash.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Welcome to PSnS ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Welcome to PSnS, the first fully automatic backup system for a Personal
Computer.

As this is the first time you are running PSnS, you should be following the
instructions in the manual for how to back up the files you want.

In addition to the manual, PSnS comes with its own online help facility which
you can access at all times by either pressing the help button on the panel you
are using, or F1 on your keyboard.

The help facility also contains information about the latest changes to the
program, and compatibility information. Refer to this now if you are running
DOS applications on your machine.

For more information about how PSnS works and what it does, refer to the
introduction to this help facility.

Technical support for PSnS is provided direct by IBM:

   PSnS Support
   Warwick Development Group
   IBM (United Kingdom) Ltd
   Birmingham Road
   Warwick
   CV34 5JL
   United Kingdom


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Changes and Compatibility Information v2.11 ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This information refers to version 2.11 of Personally Safe'n'Sound.

Changes

Restore to a Different Drive

The ability to restore a file to a drive other than the one it was backed up
from has been added to the program since the manual went to press. This
facility is available from the Restore files by Pattern panel.

Compatibility Information

Due to the architecture of OS/2, some DOS and Windows applications will affect
the way PSnS operates. If you are running an application which requires
IDLE_SENSITIVITY to be set to 100, then the background thread in PSnS will not
be able to run, unless its priority is set to high. Refer to Setting Priorities
for PSnS Threads for more information. The following applications are known to
require this setting:

o CrossTalk XVI 3.71 by DCA
o CrossTalk Mark IV 2.0 by DCA
o Current by IBM
o DynaComm by FutureSoft Engineering
o FastLynx 1.1 by Rupp Brothers
o MicroSoft C/C++ 7.0 Package by MicroSoft 1992.
o MicroSoft C/C++ 7.0 Package by MicroSoft 1992.
o MicroSoft C/C++ 7.0 Package by MicroSoft 1992.
o Norton Desktop for DOS by Symantec
o Personal Communications/3270 V2.0 for Windows by IBM
o PC 3270 Emulation Program Entry Level V2.0 by IBM
o Personal Communications/3270 V2.0 for DOS by IBM
o Relay Gold 5.0 by Microcom Systems
o REMOTE 2 HOST Crosstalk 2.1.0 by DCA
o REMOTE 2 CALL Crosstalk 2.1.0 by DCA
o Rumba (TokenRing and DFT) by WallData
o Winfax Pro by Delrina
o WordPerfect 5.X by WordPerfect
o Word Perfect Works 1.0 by Word Perfect
o Aces of the Pacific by Sierra
o Amazon by Access
o Battle Chess 4000 by Interplay
o Castle Wolfenstein 3D by APOGEE
o CheckFree 3.0 by CheckFree
o Civilization by Microprose
o Falcon 3.0 by Spectrum HoloByte Production (Sphere, Inc.)
o Front Page Sports Football by Sierra
o F15 Strike Eagle 3 by Microprose
o Gunship 2000 by Microprose
o Hoyle Book of Games by Sierra
o Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
o Joe Montana Football by SEGA
o Killing Cloud by Konami
o Kings Quest 6 by Sierra
o Leisure Suit Larry 3 by Sierra
o Leisure Suit Larry 5 by Sierra
o Links 386 Pro Golf by Access
o Out of This World by Interplay
o Police Quest 3 by Sierra
o Prince of Persia by Broderbund
o Quest for Glory 3 by Sierra
o Railroad Tycoon by Microprose
o Rex Nebular by Microprose
o Secret of Monkey's Island by Lucas Film Games
o Secret of Monkey's Island 2 by Lucas Film Games
o Space Quest 1 by Sierra
o Space Quest 5 by Sierra
o Spear of Destiny by APOGEE
o Star Trek 25th Anniversary by Interplay
o Stellar 7 by Dynamix
o Task Force 1942 by Microprose
o Telix 3.15 by EXIS Inc.
o Tetris by Spectrum HoloByte
o The Incredible Machine by Sierra
o Under World  by Origin
o Under World II by Origin
o Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? by Broderbund
o Wing Commander  by Origin
o Wing Commander II by Origin
o Wing Commander II Special Operations 1 by Origin
o Wing Commander II Special Operations 2 by Origin
o Xwing by Lucas Film Games

Workplace Shell Recovery

PSnS allows you to backup and restore the folders in the workplace shell. When
you restore a folder, you may not see it appear immediately on the desktop -
this is because OS/2 does not automatically refresh the desktop. In order to
see the folder, select "Open - Tree View" from the Desktop menu, OS/2 will then
spot the folder, and display it on the desktop.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Backing up with PSnS ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Backup pull-down menu allows you to take backups of files manuall. There
are four ways of choosing files to backup:

o Do a full backup now

o Do an incremental backup now

o Files spotted by the program

o Files selected by pattern.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. Backup modes and their time setting ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Setup Timed Start pop-up window allows you to select which backup mode you
want PSnS to use, and to change the times used for each mode.

The first mode is the incremental backup mode. The time given is the interval
between finishing one disk check and starting the next.

The second possible mode is the timed backup mode. This shows the time of day
at which PSnS will check the disks and do any required backups.

Finally there is the manual backup mode. There is no time setting - when in
this mode PSnS will only back up when you ask it to.

You can change either the interval time or the time of day, but the mode will
only change when you click on the radio buttons and then OK


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.1. Incremental backup mode ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If PSnS is in Incremental backup mode, it will check the disk for files to back
up every few minutes.

PSnS looks for files which

o Have the archive bit set on, and

o Are selected for backup by the active rulebooks
If it finds any such files, it adds them to the files spotted list. When a
backup is triggered, all the files on this list are backed up.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.2. Timed backup mode ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If PSnS is in Timed backup mode, it will only check the disks for changed files
at the time specified by the user. (The user may change this time using the
Setup Timed Start menu selection.) When the disks have been checked, any files
which:

o Are in the files spotted list, or which

   - Have the archive bit set on, and
   - Are selected for backup by the active rulebooks
are backed up.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.3. Manual backup mode ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If PSnS is in Manual backup mode it will only take a backup if the user selects
one of the four options on the Backup... pull down on the PSnS main menu.

In this mode PSnS acts like any other backup application in that it will ONLY
make a backup when you tell it to do so.

The mode is entered through the Setup Timed start menu selection.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. Full backup now ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you select this option from the Backup pull-down on the main menu, PSnS will
make a backup of all files specified in your active rulebook(s) whether or not
there have been changes since the last backup was made.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3. Incremental backup now ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you select this option from the Backup pull-down on the main menu, PSnS
performs an immediate incremental backup using your active rulebook(s). The
backup will include all files specified in those rulebooks that have been
changed at all since the last backup.Trigger levels are ignored by this option.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4. Backup files by pattern ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can get to this pop-up window by selecting the By pattern... item from the
Backup pull-down on the main menu.

There are two fields in which you enter the specification for files to be
backed up. In the first entry field, put the directory. In the second entry
field, put the file name pattern.

Note:  The directory cannot contain wildcards such as * or ?. It must have a
full drive and directory name. The name field, however, can contain a pattern
including such wildcards.

For example, you might put C:\BURNSIDE in the first field, and LEMMA.* in the
second field.

In addition, you may use the first checkbox to cause PSnS to check
subdirectories of the directory you have selected (and any subdirectories of
those subdirectories, and so on!) for files needing back up. So, if you enter
C:\ in the directory pattern field, and check this button, PSnS will search all
directories and subdirectories on your C-drive for files to back up.

PSnS will back up all the files that satisfy the pattern condition and also
satisfy one or more of the pattern conditions specified in your active local or
global rulebook. Each file will be backed up according to the rules in the
rulebooks. To check your rulebooks select the Rulebooks... option from the
Setup item on the main menu.

The final entry field contains a date. Only files that have been changed since
this date will be backed up. So if you did a lot of work on the 25th of March
1993, you may want to enter 25-03-93 in this field.

The final checkbox at the bottom of the screen allows you to specify whether
you want to back up all the files that satisfy the above conditions, or just
files that have the archive bit set on.

To proceed with the backup when you have entered the information, select OK.

To return to the main menu without performing any backups, select Cancel.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5. Backup files spotted ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To get to this pop-up window, select the Files spotted option from the Backup
item on the main action bar.

This window will list the files which have been spotted as changed from the
list of files which the user has specified for back up (in the active
rulebook(s)).

To proceed with the backup of these files immediately, rather than waiting for
PSnS to back them up, select the Backup all files radio button, and press OK.

Files can also be backed up selectively, by

o Choosing which files are to be backed up

o Choosing which files are to be removed from the list.  If this radio button
  is selected, the files will be removed from the files pending backup list and
  will only be put back if they are changed again.

To leave this window without backing up, and discarding any changes to the list
of files spotted, select Cancel To leave the window without backing up but
keeping changes to the files spotted list, select the Don't backup any files
radio button and then press OK


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.6. Show backup box ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This tick item can be found in the Backup item on the main menu.

If this item is ticked, then when files are being backed up in the background
(that is, when PSnS is iconised) the PSnS Progress indicator If you do not want
to be interrupted by the panel while working on something else on the desktop,
make sure that this option is not ticked.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.7. Update titlebar text ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This tick item can be found in the Backup item on the main menu.

If this item is ticked, then the text in the titlebar of the PSnS main window
(or, if the window is minimised, the text underneath the PSnS icon) will change
to show the name of the file currently being backed up (with an (EA) if the
extended attribute is also being backed up).


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.8. Stopping backup ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If the Stop button on the PSnS Progress indicator then the backup process will
stop completely after the current file has been backed up and you will be
returned to the main menu.

If PSnS was backing with the files spotted option, then the rest of the list of
files will still be on the files spotted for backup list.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.9. Pausing backup ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To pause backup, press the Pause push button on the PSnS Progress indicator.
PSnS will then freeze the operation until you select the Resume button at the
bottom of the Progress indicator panel.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Restoring files with PSnS ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Restore pull-down menu allows you to restore (or delete) files which you
have backed up.

You may list all the files that you have backed up, and select any group of
them, using the Restore selected files action. You can then restore these files
or delete them.

You can also restore files directly by typing in a wildcard and a date as of
which to restore files, using the Restore by pattern action.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1. Restore files by pattern ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can get to this window by selecting Restore from the main menu, then
selecting By pattern....

You can use this window to restore backed up files, if you know their name and
directory. In the first field enter the specification of the files that you
want to restore. This may be a particular file name, for example
C:\CARD\ALEPH.NUL Alternatively, it could be a pattern specification, for
example C:\XYZ\*.*

If you use a pattern, you can restore more than one file at the same time. So
C:\CARD\ALEC.* would restore all files which were backed up from the C:\CARD
directory, and which have a file name of ALEC (for example, files such as
ALEC.CRD, ALEC.ONE, and ALEC.TWO).

The second and third fields allow you to enter a date and a time; they are used
to select the generation of backup to restore. The backup generation chosen to
be restored will be the last backup taken before the time and date you specify.
So, if you want to restore a file to the state it was in at 9 o'clock in the
morning on the 17th July 1990, you might put 17-07-90 in the date field, and
09:00 in the time field. If the last backup taken before then was for 18:00 on
the 16th, that is the generation which would be restored.

Note:  The exact format for the date depends on the date format you have
selected from the Country... option on the OS/2 Control Panel The date format
you should enter is taken from this setting.

The final field allows you to choose which disk you restore the files to. If
you select the default, then the files will be restored to the same drive and
directory that they were backed up from. If you select a particular drive, then
the files will be restored to that drive instead.

If you want to restore files to a different directory, then you can use the
Restore specific files panel.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2. Restore specific files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can get to this pop-up window by selecting the Specific files option from
the Restore item on the main menu.

This window allows you to list the files that have been archived, and select
the files that you want to restore or delete.

If PSnS has made any backups (manually or automatically) then this window will
display the files that have been backed up and the directory structures that
they were backed up from. When this window first appears, PSnS does not know
which directory you require, so it gives you a choice by listing the drives
that PSnS has backed up from in the Directories (on the right).

Double-clicking on one of the entries in the Directories list box produces a
list of files that have been backed up from that directory. The list appears in
the Files list box, on the left. Any further subdirectories, and a .. entry to
allow you to go back up one directory level, will be listed in the Directories
list box, along with a list of all the drives that files have been backed up
from. So if you had backed up the file C:\XYZ\FRED.DAT, you would have to click
on the [C:] entry and then on the XYZ entry in the Directories list box and
FRED.DAT would appear in the Files list box.

To only display files in the current directory that match a certain wildcard,
type a pattern other than *.* in the File name entry field at the top of the
window. For example, a pattern of *.WK1 would mean that only files with an
extension of WK1. would be shown in the Files list box.

To select a particular file from the Files list box, click on it once. To
select several files, click on each of them; if the list of files is longer
than one list box, use the scroll bars to scroll through them.

Once you have made your selection of one or more files:

o Select Restore to restore these files

o Select Drop to remove these files from the archives
;h3 res=3038.Restore Specified files i2 refid=restoring.restore specified files
panel

You get this pop-up window if you have selected more than one file to be
restored from the Restore specific files window (accessed from the
Restore...Specific files option from the PSnS main menu.

There are two options on the panel :

o Restore files automatically - this will automatically restore the most recent
  backup of each specified file to the directory that it was backed up from.

o Prompt for details of each file restored - this will cause the Select
  generation of backup to restore window to appear for each of the selected
  files. This allows you to specify which generation should be restored and
  where to restore it to.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2.1. Select generation of backup to restore ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You get this pop-up window when you have selected a file to restore from the
Restore specific files window, which can be accessed from the Specific files
item from the Restore pull-down on the main menu.

The list box contains a list of the generations of archives of this file. The
date and time at which each backup was taken is thus displayed. Select a
certain generation to restore by clicking on the relevant line.

The entry field below will contain by default the directory from which the file
was backed up; however you may change this by overtyping it. For example, if
you had backed up the file C:\XYZ\FRED.DAT then PSnS would put C:\XYZ in this
field.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Files spotted list ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This is a list which PSnS keeps of all files which have been spotted for back
up. When a backup is triggered, either by the user with the Backup Files
Spotted option, or by PSnS during disk checking, the list of files will be
completely backed up. The number of files in the list is displayed on the main
panel.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Setting up or customising PSnS ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the functions on the Setup pull-down on the main menu bar to customise PSnS
for your own use  You can adjust the drive definitions that PSnS uses, the
removable volumes (for example, floppy diskettes) that PSnS can use for backing
up, and the time of day that you want the automatic backup feature to run (if
you want it to run at all).

You can also customise the rulebooks, to choose which files are backed up and
which device should be used.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Rulebooks ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Rulebooks are the way in which you can tell PSnS which files you want it to
back up, where you want to store the backups, and other details (if required)
about the actual backup.

Rulebooks are either local or global, depending on how they were set up.

An example of a rulebook is shown in the Rulebook example

Local rulebooks are for individual users.  This allows you to ensure your most
important files are backed up to the place of your choice. When adding new
rulebooks, the default is set to global.

Global rulebooks are provided for the use of one or many users. They should be
used to ensure that files which are considered to be of general importance are
backed up - providing greater security by not depending on the priorities
individual users might have. Hence the file specifications in global rulebooks
are likely to be more general, and the frequency of suggested backup may be
somewhat lower than local rulebooks.

Local rulebooks are for individual users.  This allows you to ensure your most
important files are backed up to the place of your choice. When adding new
rulebooks, the default is set to global.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1. Patterns for backup selection ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Patterns are used in the rules in a rulebook and to select files to backup or
restore, they are just "templates". (An example of a rulebook, and the patterns
in it, is shown in Rulebook example.) PSnS uses it to see if the action applies
to a particular file. It can contain the OS/2 wildcard characters, * and ?
anywhere within it, as well as normal characters.

For example, MYFILE.DOC is allowed, and would match any file in any drive and
path with a name of MYFILE and an extension of DOC.

Similarly, C:MYFILE.DOC is allowed, and would match such a file in any path on
the C drive.

However, C:\MYFILE.DOC or C:\MYDIR\MYFILE.DOC would only match the particular
file in the given path on the given drive.

Note:  Upper or lower case is not significant in patterns.

Wildcards

Wildcards are the characters * and ?.

?   This indicates that any single character may appear in this position

*   This allows any number of characters, including none at all, to occupy this
    position

A colon is a special case because it will only be recognised when it is the
second character of a specification. For example, c?xyz will include c3xyz but
not c:xyz. The last backslash is also a special case. Any characters after the
last backslash are assumed to refer only to the file name and extension. If
there are no backslashes, all the characters refer to the file name and
extension, and all the drives and paths are checked.

Some examples of patterns are:

aa?bb includes the files aa3bb and aacbb but not aaccbb .

aa*bb includes all of these files, as well as aa32bb .

*.* includes any file, as would * but *. would match only files that had no
extension.

C:\ALPHA.* includes all files called ALPHA , with any extension, in the root
directory of the C drive.

C:ALPHA includes all files called ALPHA , with no extension, in any directory
of the C drive.

C:\harry*\* includes all files, with any extension, in any subdirectory within
a directory whose name starts with harry . It includes, for example, the file
C:\HARRY\AND\UNCLE.BOB because the * after harry can match any number of \
characters.

However, *JIM*\* also includes C:\COUSIN\JIM\AND\UNCLE.BOB because the * before
JIM can match anything as well.

Patterns should be used with care because if they are too vague many files
which are not required for backup may be included. In particular, *s on their
own should be used with caution. It is best to specify exactly what you need,
and no more.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2. Example rulebook ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section contains a typical list of rules from a rulebook, and explains
them.

A rulebook is used to determine which files to back up. Each rule consists of a
pattern, and a drive to which matching files are to be backed up.  The word
[None] is used if no backup is to be taken.

    OS2.INI ΓöÇ D
    \OS2\*  ΓöÇ [None]
    *.EXE   ΓöÇ [None]
    *.COM   ΓöÇ [None]
    *.WK?   ΓöÇ E
    *.*     ΓöÇ D

Here you can see to where a typical list of files will be backed up:

C:\OS2\OS2.INI
    will go to drive D
C:\OS2\DOSCALLS.LIB
    will not be backed up
C:\OS2\VDISK.SYS
    will not be backed up
C:\OS2\E.EXE
    will not be backed up
D:\123\123.EXE
    will not be backed up
D:\123\AUG90.WKS
    will go to drive E
C:\OLD123\JAN88.WK1
    will go to drive E
D:\MKTG\PLAN.SCR
    will go to drive D

For more details, see the patterns and rulebooks sections.

Note The order of rules in a rulebook is important because a file will be
backed up according to the first rule in the list that it matches. For example
- the last rule in the example rulebook, *.* ΓöÇ D , will only back up files
that are not already backed up or excluded by the previous rules.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.3. Listing the Rulebooks ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can get to this pop-up window by selecting the Setup option from the main
action bar, then selecting the Rulebooks... option from within the pull-down
menu. The pop-up window displays a list of the rulebooks that are currently
available on the system. It allows you to alter the rulebooks, change which one
the system is to use, or to simply view them.

Local rulebooks are listed under the heading '* Local', and Global rulebooks
are listed below, under the heading '* Global'.

If a rulebook is active, that is, if PSnS uses it for checking against when it
performs a backup, the rulebook name will have an <in use> sign by it.

To select a rulebook from the list, scroll to its name, or select it with the
mouse. When you select one of the options on the Rulebooks... pull-down on the
menu bar, the selected rulebook will be affected. The defaults in the Options
pull-down on the menu bar will also refer to the selected rulebook.

BEWARE:

You must always have a global rulebook in use. The system will not allow you to
leave this window without one.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.3.1. Description ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The description is intended to help you decide whether to use a particular rule
or rulebook. Hence this might be a general description of the files the
rulebook refers to, a contact point for the service of the rulebook (in the
case of a rulebook on a Local Area Network), or details about why a rule is
present.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Changing defaults for new rules ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window is brought up when the Change defaults item on the Options
pull-down from the Rulebooks menu bar is selected. It can be used to alter the
following defaults for each rulebook individually :

o The Backup device used in new rules

o The Backup device for PSnS control files

o The Backup trigger level for new rules

o The number of Backup generations for new rules

Note:  In the case of the "initial" settings, changing the value for this
setting WILL NOT alter the setting for existing rules. It is only the setting
used for creating new rules.

The drives available for the first two options are displayed in the drop-down
lists, see them by scrolling with the arrow keys or selecting the arrows to the
right of each field. New drives can be added in the Drive letter details
window. This can be accessed from the Setup option on the main PSnS main menu
bar. Select another drive to change the default.

The trigger level is the number of times a file has to be changed before it is
added to the files spotted for backup list. It and the number of backup
generations can be changed by using the up and down arrows on the right of each
field.

The name of the rulebook to which the defaults apply appears in the top field


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.1. Backup device used in new rules ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This should be the letter of the device which you most commonly use for backup
by this rulebook. For example, "A" would mean a floppy disk drive, and "C"
would mean the hard disk.

The possible values are displayed in a drop-down list. (Selecting the  button
will display the full list). The drives available are taken from those shown in
the Setup drives pop-up window.

The device selected will be automatically entered as the backup device for a
new rule in the selected rulebook.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.2. Backup device for PSnS control files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This field allows you to choose where you want the PSnS cotrol files backed up
to. When the selected rulebook is active the control files will be backed up to
the specified device.

The possible values are displayed in a drop-down list. (Selecting the  button
will display the full list. Alternatively, use of the up and down arrow keys
will move through the items in the list, when this box has the focus.) The
drives available are taken from those shown in the Setup drives pop-up window.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.3. Backup trigger level for new rules ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This is the default setting for the backup trigger value for rules in this
rulebook. This is the minimum number of times that a file needs to be noticed
as updated by PSnS, when running in incremental backup mode, before the file
can trigger a backup. So if this has the value 3, backup will only be triggered
when a file is spotted as changed three times.

Note:  When backup is triggered by any file, all spotted files are backed up.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.4. Backup generations for new rules ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This is the default value for the number of backup generations kept for rules
in this rulebook. A generation of backup is a copy of a file, as it was on a
particular date and time.

A small number (for example, two or three) generations means the you save space
on the backup device. A larger number (ten, for example) will, of course, take
up more space on the backup device, but will provide an audit trail of changes
to the file.

The number of generations can range from one to ninety nine.

Note:  Large numbers in this field are only recommeded where storage costs are
low, for example, when backing up to CD-ROM.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.5. Change search order ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This pop-up window appears when you choose the Select checking order item from
the Options pull-down menu in the List of Rulebooks panel. PSnS usually checks
for matches in the active global rulebook before the active local rulebook but
you can reverse this if you wish. When a communal global rulebook is being
used, checking the local rulebook first allows the user more control over thier
backups.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.6. Adding a new rulebook ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can get to this pop-up window by pressing the Add option in the Rulebooks
pull-down on the List of Rulebooks  menu bar.

This window asks you to enter the name for the new rulebook you are creating.
The new rulebook can either be local or global, although the default is set to
local.  It can be changed using the radio buttons.

Type the name for the rulebook (up to eight characters of letters or numbers,
without any spaces) in the entry field in the centre of the window.

To accept the new rulebook name, and create the rulebook, select OK.

If you are adding a global rulebook you will then be asked to enter a password
for it. If you do not wish to have a password, select OK immediately, otherwise
enter the pasword and then select OK The new rulebook will be opened
automatically to allow you to edit it.

Note:  Passwords are case sensitive.

To return to the main menu without creating a new rulebook, select Cancel.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.7. Copying a rulebook ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can get to this pop-up window by pressing the Copy option in the Edit item
on the List of Rulebooks action bar.

This window asks you to enter the name for the copy of the rulebook you are
creating. It also allows you to select whether the new rulebook will be a local
rulebook or a global rulebook.

Enter the name (up to 8 letters or numbers, no spaces) of the new rulebook.

Select one of the two radio buttons, to make the new rulebook a local or a
global rulebook.

To complete a copy, using the name and type you have chosen, select the OK
button.

If you have chosen to make the copy a global rulebook you will then be asked to
enter a password for it. If you do not wish to have a password, select OK
immediately, otherwise enter the pasword and then select OK You will be
returned to the List of Rulebooks window.

Note:  Passwords are case sensitive.

To return to the list of rulebooks without creating a copy, select the Cancel
button.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.8. Deleting Rulebooks ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To delete a rulebook, select it in the List of Rulebooks window using the mouse
or your keyboard cursor keys and then select the Delete option from the
Rulebooks pull-down. A pop-up window will appear asking you to confirm your
choice. If you do not wish to delete the rulebook after all, select Cancel,
otherwise select OK. You will be returned to the list of rulebooks.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.9. Testing Rulebooks ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This panel can be accessed from the Test Active Rulebooks...  option in the
Rulebook pull-down menu from the Rulebooks action bar.  It tests the rulebooks
which are marked as <in use> in the Available Rulebooks list box.

The rulebooks being tested are displayed at the top of the panel, along with
the checking order.  This can also be changed from the Rulebooks action bar, by
selecting Options. The default is to check the Global rulebook before the
Local.

The files which would be backed up using the particular rulebooks which have
been tested are shown in the list box at the bottom of the window.

Note:  These files have not actually been backed up, as this facility is
designed for use by those who have created rulebooks and wish to ensure that
they will back up the expected files.

Selecting OK returns the user to the Rulebooks window.

Selecting Stop halts the test.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.10. List the rules in a rulebook ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can view and edit the rules in a rulebook by double clicking on it in the
list box in the List of Rulebooks window, or by selecting the Open option from
the Rulebooks pull-down. You are then in the Edit rules window which displays
the rules contained in the selected rulebook.

You can use this window to update the rules within a rulebook. The rules
determine which files are to be backed up, and where they should be backed up
to.

The following entry fields are visible:

o Pattern

o to drive:

o Description

o Trigger backup when files changed this many times:

o Keep this many generations of backup:

o Compress command:

o Uncompress command:

The Add... push button allows you to add a new rule to the rulebook.

The Delete push button deletes the rule that is selected.

The OK push button returns the user to the List of Rulebooks screen, and saves
the changes made.

The Cancel button cancels the Edit Rules window and returns the user to the
List of Rulebooks panel..


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.11. Adding a new rule to a rulebook ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

To add a new rule to a rulebook, first open the rulebook by highlighting it in
the List of Rulebooks list box and selecting the Open option from the Rulebooks
pull-down. Then select the Add push button at the bottom of the Edit Rules
window.

As the order of rule entries is important, the new rule will be added just
before the selected rule in the list of rules window.

The following entry fields are shown on this screen:

o Pattern for files to match

o Drive to be used to backup files matching the pattern

o Description of this rule.

When you have filled in the fields, press OK to add the rule to the rulebook,
or Cancel to leave the window without adding the rule.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.11.1. Description of this rule ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this field to type in a description which will help you understand the
purpose of the rule when you or others are looking at the rulebook. This will
appear on the main rulebook editing panel when this rule is selected in the
list box.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.11.2. Pattern for files to match ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The pattern is a "wildcard" specification for the files you want to select.
Files selected by this rule are either backed up or ignored; if the value of
the to drive:  field is [None], the files selected are not backed up. If the
value is the name of a drive in the Setup drives table, the matching files will
be backed up to the specified drive.

Rulebooks are scanned from top to bottom whenever a file is found which has
changed. When a file is found to match the pattern in a rule, the associated
trigger level field is used to decide whether to back the file up or not. (When
a file has matched one pattern, the scanning of the rulebook stops in any case;
this is why ordering of rules is important.)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Backup drive for a rule. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This field contains the drive letter of the backup destination for files
matching the pattern. If the field contains the value [None], files matching
the associated pattern are not backed up. If the field contains a valid drive
letter (from the list in the Setup drives table), files matching the pattern
are backed up to the specified drive.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Trigger level ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the arrows by the field to select a value for the trigger level. PSnS keeps
a record of how often a file has been noted as changed. When has been changed
the number of times you specified, a backup is triggered. For example, if you
set the trigger level to be 3. The files specified by that rule will only be
backed up after they have been changed three times.

When a backup is triggered any other files that have been changed will also be
backed up, even if they have not been changed the required number of times.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Backup generations ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

PSnS can keep many generations of backup for a particular set of files. Two
generations is usually enough for most circumstances, but if an audit trail is
required, for example, more generations can be specified.

PSnS allows any number of generations up to 99, although more generations
require more space on the backup device.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Compress command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This field is to be found on the Edit Rules screen.

This is the command that is used to compress the backup files during backup.
Leaving this field blank indicates that no compression is required. Putting an
asterisk (*) in this field indicates that PSnS is to use its own tersing
function. To use your own command, type in the command and its arguments just
as you would on a command line, except instead of typing in the file names, you
must substitute the following tokens:

&s  the file name of the original (non backed-up) file.

&t  the file name of the target file - the back up.

So if you have a command called TERSE, you could type  TERSE &s &t  in this
entry field.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Uncompress command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Like the compress command, this command is used to decompress the backup files
during backup. The use is the same as for the compress command above.

Therefore, if you have a command called UNTERSE, you could type  UNTERSE &t &s
in this field.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9.12. Rulebook password ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This window is for entering a new or current password.

This window is asking you either to enter the password for the currently active
global rulebook (if you are changing it) or the password for a new global
rulebook (if you are creating one).

If you are currently using a global rulebook with a password, then you cannot
alter that or any other global rulebook without using the password.

The password may be blank (in which case any password will later match it), or
it may be a word or a phrase of up to forty characters.

Enter the password in the entry field in the middle of the window.

When you have entered the password, select OK, or press enter. Or select OK
without entering anything if you do not wish to have a password for the
rulebook.

To return to the previous window without entering a password, select Cancel.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. Setup drive table ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can get to this pop-up window by selecting the Drives option from the Setup
pull-down on the PSnS main menu.

Use this window to inform the system of the drives that backup can be made to
and how to make backups to them. Most users will not need to use this screen;
when PSnS is first run on a machine, it will check out all the drives and make
entries for the OS/2-supported drives in the drive table. Only if the user
wishes to use non-OS/2 supported drives do they need to use this screen.

On the left of the window is a list box containing a list of the drives that
the system has been configured to recognise. To select a particular drive,
scroll to its entry in this list.

Information about the drive will be displayed on the right.  The appropriate
radio button will be checked in the Drive Type group to show the type of backup
device selected.

Note:  There are special considerations if you are using OS/2 Extended Edition
and wish to back up files to a host using Communications Manager. See below for
details.

The following fields occur in this window:

o To tell the system whether the drive is for removable volumes, tab to the
  checkbox marked The volume in the drive can be changed by the user and press
  Enter. A checked checkbox indicates that the drive is for removable volumes.

o To tell PSnS whether the drive is OS/2 supported, mark the checkbox labelled
  Drive is directly supported by OS/2 commands.

o The field Files should be batched when they are backed up to this drive
  should only be checked for tape drives. When asked to back up to this drive,
  PSnS will then make a list of changed files and pass the whole list to the
  software (separate from PSnS) that makes the actual backups.

   Command to back up to this drive If the drive is not OS/2-supported, (for
             example, a disk on a host machine), specify the file transfer
             command in this box. See notes below on the form to be used for
             the command.

             Note:  There are special considerations if you are using OS/2
             Extended Edition and wish to back up files to a host using
             Communications Manager. (See below for details.)

   Command to restore to this drive Again, if the drive is not OS/2-supported,
             PSnS needs to know what commands to use to retrieve files from the
             drive back to the PC or PS/2. Enter the appropriate command here.

Notes on entering commands

You must know the commands you would use at the command line to transfer files
to and from this device. Then type the commands exactly as you would if you
were performing the file transfer manually; however you must use the following
substitutions for the file names on the source and target drives:

&s  The token represents the full specification (drive, path, name and
    extension) of the source file (the file that has been or is to be backed
    up).

&t  This token represents the full specification of the target file (the backup
    file).

&d  This token represents the drive letter of the target file (without a
    colon).

&n  This token represents the file name of the target file (without a dot or
    extension).

&x  This token represents the extension of the target file (without a dot).

Notes for OS/2 EE host backup

If you want to back up files to the host (a mainframe running the VM or MVS
operating systems), you must use a special command. There are restrictions in
OS/2 Extended Edition which mean you cannot use SEND and RECEIVE. Instead, you
must use PSSSEND and PSSRECV. So you should put

          PSSSEND &s a:&n &x
in the Command to Back Up field, and

          PSSRECV &s a:&n &x
in the Command to Restore field.

To add another drive specification to the list, select Add.

To delete a drive specification from the list, select the drive (by scrolling
to it in the list) and then press Delete.

To save the new drive information and return to the main menu, select OK.

To return to the main menu without saving the new drive information, select
Cancel.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.1. Add a new drive to the drive table ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can get to this pop-up window by selecting the Add button on the Setup
Drives pop-up window.

Use this window to add a new drive definition to the system.

Enter the letter for the new drive in the entry field labelled Letter for new
drive.  The radio buttons below allow the user to specify the type of drive
they are adding.

Use the two checkboxes (marked Volumes in the drive can be changed by the user
and Drive is directly supported by OS/2 commands) to specify whether the new
drive uses removable media (such as diskettes) and whether the drive is
OS/2-supported or not. If the new drive is a tape drive then check the third
box to tell PSnS that files being backed up should be batched (see Setup drive
table).

To add this information to PSnS's list of drives, select OK.

To return to the previous screen without adding this new drive, select Cancel.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.1.1. OS/2-supported drives ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

An OS/2-supported drive is one which can be accessed by OS/2 commands such as
DIR and COPY. This includes all the hard disks and diskette drives built into
your machine, but excludes, for example, optical drives and host systems.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. List of Removable Volumes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this window to inform PSnS of the removable volumes (eg diskettes) that it
has at its disposal. In the list box on the left hand side of the window is a
list of the removable volumes that PSnS knows about; these are referenced by a
unique number. To select a volume from this list, click on its name.
Information about the volume (the drive it is used in and the amount of space
free on it) is displayed beside the volume list.

To add a new removable volume to the system, select Add

To delete a volume from the system, click on its number in the list, and then
select Delete

Warning: If you delete a removable volume then all the backups on that volume
will be lost irretrievably.

To refresh the contents of the removable volumes, select Refresh


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.1. Add a removable volume to PSnS ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this option to inform PSnS of another removable volume (such as a diskette)
that it can use for backing up.

In the List of Removable Volumes window select the number you want for the new
volume. In most cases you would accept the number shown, but if you no longer
need the data on one of your existing volumes you could delete it from the list
and then re-use that volume number. This function enables you to keep volume
numbers down to a reasonable size.

Then select the Add button to bring up the Add Removable Volumes window.

Type the letter of the drive where the removable volume is  used in the Home
Drive entry field.

Select the Format new volume check box if you want the new volume to be
automatically formatted. You can specify the density you wish the volume to be
formatted to in the field below the Format new volume checkbox.

If you do not want to format the new volume, and if the removable volume is
OS/2-supported, you can ask the program to find out how much space is available
on it automatically. If the volume is not OS/2-supported then you must enter
the amount of space available on it (in kilobytes) in the Kilobytes free on new
volume entry field.

To add the new volume to the system (and format it, if required) select OK.

To return to the previous window without adding a volume to the system, select
Cancel.

If there is no free space available on the removable volumes PSnS already knows
about then the program will bring up the Add Removable Volumes window
automatically.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.2. Refreshing the Contents of Removable Volumes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

PSnS performs automatic management of removable volumes, and keeps track of how
much space is available on them. However, because the program is designed to
perform backups while causing the least possible disruption to the user, it
will not always delete obsolete backups of files.  This is because unnecessary
swapping of removable volumes may be required.  While these old backups will
not affect the backing up and restoring of files, they do take up space. Use
the Refresh option to clear out the obsolete backups.

You get to this function by selecting the Refresh button on the List of
Removable Volumes  window.

You can then choose to refresh either the main backup volumes, or those
containing control file backups, or both.

The refresh function will ask for each removable volume in turn, and refresh
its contents.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. The PSnS Log File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

PSnS will keep a log file of files which have been backed up. You can choose
whether to record the good backups and the bad backups using the items on this
pull-down.

The log contains:

o the date and time of each backup

o an error number (if an error occurred)

o the drive to which the file was backed up

o the full file specification (drive, path, and name) for the backed up file.

For example, a few lines might look like:

 - 03-05-90 08:30      >C  <C:\STARTUP.CMD
 - 03-05-90 18:16      >C  <C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT
 X 03-05-90 18:55  10  >H  <C:\FAIL.ME
 - 03-05-90 18:58      >C  <C:\PATCH.CMD

This means that three files were successfully backed up, and one failed, with
an error code of 10 (A failed backup is show by an 'X' to the left of the date
and time of backup).

The Log File is kept in a file called BACKUP.LOG, in the PSnS System Data
directory, called \PSS\SYSDATA\.  This will be on the drive on which you
installed PSnS.

You can change the program used to look at this file by using the Logview
program selection from the Logview item on the main menu.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12.1. Viewing the PSnS Log File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you select the Logfile pull-down from the main action bar, and chose the
option View Log... a program will be used to show you the backup log. (By
default, the system editor is used; you can change the program used by using
the Logview program option on the Logfile pull-down on the main menu.)

You can use any of the functions of the system editor (or your chosen program)
on the Log File, including Search to find entries, and Delete to erase old
entries.

The Log File is kept in a file called BACKUP.LOG, in the PSnS System Data
directory, called \PSS\SYSDATA\  This is on the drive on which you installed
PSnS.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12.2. Log successful backups ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select this if you want a record of successful backups in the PSnS Logfile.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12.3. Log errors on backup ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select this if you want a record of failed backups and the errors that caused
the failures in the PSnS Logfile.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12.4. Changing the program used to view the log ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can get to this pop-up window by selecting Logview program from the Logfile
item on the main menu.

This pop-up allows you to change the program which is called when the View log
option is chosen from the Logfile main menu item.

By default, the OS/2 System Editor is used. You can enter the path and name of
your own editor to use instead, in the entry field on this pop-up window. When
you have entered the path and name, select OK.

Warning: No support is guaranteed for programs other than the OS/2 System
Editor. In particular, non-Presentation Manager programs (ones which use AVIO
functions, for example) will not work.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. Startup option ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

There are several flags you may use on the intial PSS command, or (under OS/2
version 2.0) put in the Parameters field of the program settings:

/?        Produces help on command line switches. You may need to redirect this
          output to a file to view it, thus:

                    PSS /? > myfile
           Then view the file.

/I        Start up iconised. This causes PSnS to start in the iconised state.

/B        PSnS will perform a backup as soon as it is started, using the active
          rulebooks.

/BL=<name> PSnS will perform a backup as soon as it is started, using the
          specified local rulebook.

/BG=<name> PSnS will perform a backup as soon as it is started, using the
          specified global rulebook.

/C        When used with the /B, /BL or /BG switches this causes PSnS to backup
          only changed files when it is started.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.1. Backing up on Startup ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A backup can be performed as soon as PSnS is started by using the /B switch on
the command line.

In its simplest form, /B will backup all files that are covered by the active
rulebooks. This might be useful in a critical environment as it ensures that
you have a complete set of backed up files every time the program is run.

Using /BL=<name> or /BG=<name>  performs a similar task, except that instead of
using the active rulebooks, the program will use the rulebooks specified by
name. Note that the switches only over-ride the type of rulebook to which they
refer, so /BL=DAILY will over-ride any local rulebook, but will not affect the
active global rulebook. Similarly /BG=ONCE will over-ride the active global
rulebook, but will not affect any local rulebook.

Using the /C switch causes PSnS to back up only those files which have been
changed since the last backup. So, for example, /B /C will cause a backup of
all files covered by the active rulebooks which have been changed since the
last backup.

One possible use of /BL=<name> and /BG=<name> would be to allow a daily backup
to diskette, by using appropriate rulebooks in the switches, combined with
regular background backing up to hard-drive during normal operations. This not
only provides greater security, but also avoids repeated interruptions when the
program backs up to diskette during normal working hours.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.2. Setting Priorities for PSnS Threads ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This panel can be reached by selecting Set up - Priorities from the main menu.
Using this panel allows you to change the priorities of the threads that PSnS
uses to scan your disks and perform backups. You might want to do this to avoid
interference from other programs (such as OS/2 system monitors and some DOS
applications) which affect the way OS/2 works in background mode.

The 2 modes available are High priority and Normal Priority.

High priority means that OS/2 will try to give that thread a set proportion of
the system's time, so the backup or disk scan will run and a regular rate,
regardless of other programs you may be running. This can be disruptive if you
are using another application while PSnS is working.

To get around this problem, PSnS usually works at normal priority, which means
that it will operate only when nothing else is happening on your machine. This
is usually the best mode to operate in, as OS/2 will let PSnS work in between
your key or mouse presses, or after an application has finished a particular
calculation. However, if you are using an application that works continuously
(like a system monitor, or a DOS communications program), then PSnS might never
be given the opportunity to perform a disk scan, or back up. In this case you
should select high priority for the threads affected.

Once you have chosen the priorities you require, select OK. You will be asked
to allow PSnS to shut down, and then restart it for the changes to take effect.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.3. The PSnS Progress Indicator ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The PSnS progress indicator is displayed when files are being backed up or
restored. It contains information about what action PSnS is performing, and,
during backup or restore, it also gives an estimate of how long the process
will take. The estimate is calculated by multiplying the total number of files
being backed up by the average time taken so far to backup one file. The value
given is only an estimate, and is updated during the backup.

There are four buttons at the bottom of the panel :

Stop    This option completely breaks off the backup or restore that is taking
        place at the time.

Pause   This option pauses the current backup, restore or disk check, allowing
        you to perform other tasks.

Resume  This option resumes the operation that was interrupted by selecting
        Pause.

Help    Provides access to this online help.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.4. Credits ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Project Leader Bruce Nash

Original Coder Clive Freeman

Original Idea  John Armstrong

Team Members

                              Ben Stragnell
                              Charles Cooper
                              Gary Wooding
                              Mike Rigby
                              Ian Thomas
                              John May
                              Sally Dent
                              Lucy Campbell

               With special thanks to:  Geoff Bott, Richard Huijing, Paul Nol,
               Ian Nussey and Vinciane Ollington.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 14. Leaving PSnS ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Press F3 or select Exit from the first pull-down to exit the program. You will
be asked if you are sure you want to exit, to prevent you from accidentally
shutting down PSnS.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 15. PSnS Help choices ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use these choices to find out:

o how to use help

o how to get extended help

o how to go to a list of keys

o how to go to the help index.

Help for help
     Provides detailed information on the kinds of Help available and how to
     use Help.

Extended help
     Displays general help.

Keys help
     Displays a list of keys.

Help index
     Displays the help index.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 16. Help for PSnS Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this choice to obtain information on how to use the Help facility.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 16.1. Extended Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This is an introduction to PSnS.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 16.2. Help for Keys ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this choice to see a list of keys and a description of the function of the
keys.

The list of keys is arranged in groups.

ACCELERATOR KEYS

F1
     Obtain help

F3
     Exit program

HELP KEYS

F1
     Get help

F2
     Get extended help (from within any help window)

Alt+F4
     End help

F9
     Go to a list of keys (from within any help window)

F11
     Go to the help index (from within any help window)

Esc
     Previous Help Panel, or End help if only one panel

Alt+F6
     Go to/from help and programs

Shift+F10
     Get help for help

SYSTEM KEYS

Alt+F6
     Switch to the next windowed program

Alt+Esc
     Switch to the next program, including full-screen programs

Ctrl+Esc
     Switch to the Task List

WINDOW KEYS

F3
     Close a window

F10
     Go to/from the action bar

Arrow keys
     Move among choices

End
     Go to the last choice in a pull-down

Esc
     Cancel a pull-down or the system menu

Home
     Go to the first choice in a pull-down

PgUp
     Scroll the contents of the window up one page

PgDn
     Scroll the contents of the window down one page

Underlined letter
     Move among the choices on the action bar and pull-downs

Alt+F10
     Go to/from the action bar

Alt+F4 or F3
     Close the window

Alt+F5
     Restore the window

Alt+F7
     Move the window

Alt+F8
     Size the window

Alt+F9
     Minimize the window

Alt+F10
     Maximize the window

Ctrl+PgDn or Shift+F8
     Scroll the contents of the window right one page

Ctrl+PgUp or Shift+F7
     Scroll the contents of the window left one page

Shift+Esc or Alt+Spacebar
     Go to/from the system menu

Shift+Esc or Alt
     Go to/from the system menu of a text window


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 16.3. Help for Help Index ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this choice to display the help index.

The help index lists the titles of the help information that is available.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Removable volumes are backup volumes,such as diskettes, which can be changed by
the user. The criterion for removable volumes is: might PSnS try to back up to
this device with the drive empty, or with the wrong thing in it? If so, it is a
removable volume drive; the volumes in the drive can be changed by the user.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can change the interval which PSnS will use from the Setup Timed Start
screen.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The archive bit is one of the OS/2 file system attributes. Whenever a file is
changed, OS/2 sets it to on.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Drives are displayed thus: [C:] for the C-drive, [D:] for the D-drive, and so
on.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Backups are kept in generations. A generation of backup corresponds to one
complete backup of a file. So if you have three generations of backup for a
file, there are up to three backup copies of the file in the system. When a
fourth backup is taken, the oldest of the three copies will be overwritten.

Note:  Old generations of backup will only be overwritten on a directly
OS/2-supported device such as a hard disk, a LAN disk, or diskettes. On devices
such as an optical drive, which require a special command to write to them, old
generations are not overwritten. The user may delete them manually if
necessary, but this practice is strongly discouraged.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If files are compressed in size during backup, they will take up less space on
the backup device, although backup will take slightly longer.

Since backup in OS/2 takes place in the background, without interrupting user
tasks, the extra time taken by compression will probably not affect the user.
Since there are considerable benefits to using less space on the backup device,
use of PSnS's compression options is recommended.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A good backup is one which was successful. The file has been backed up, and all
appropriate entries made in PSnS control files.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden>  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A bad backup is one which failed for some reason. The reason can be determined
by examining the error number in the Log File.