SmartBackup

last update: 19th June 2005
Latest Dokumentation / zip / sit
Database Name: SmartBackup
Creator: SmBk
Size: 38 kbytes
Version: 2.3b
Type: Shareware

latest changes:

Most of the screenshots are reduced to b/w images to save bandwidth.

SmartBackup.gif

SmartBackup is small Utility for PalmOS™ enabled devices to backup the databases in ROM to a memory card. It is designed to have more than one copy at a time of the files ("generations").
Backup - CleanUp - Restore - Schedule - Move orphaned Files.

SmartBackup_About.gif

The About screen of the Application
SmartBackup_Main.gif

The main screen of the Application
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Backup

SmartBackup_Main1.gif

Select the source card (internal Memory, usually there is just one card (PalmCard) available.
SmartBackup_Main2.gif

Select the target Memory Card for the backup.
Usually there is just one available except on PalmOS™ 5.0 or better (RAM Drive) or with Handera330.
The names in the list depends on the name of the cards that are mounted.
SmartBackup_Main_Type.gif

Choose what kind of files are included or excluded from the backup.
Full All databases are backup'ed except those in RAM and the _68k_ proxies for Palm OS™ 5.x
only PRC's just the Resource databases are backup'ed. PDB's and PQA's are skipped.
only PDB's just the Data databases are backup'ed, PRC's and PQA's are skipped
no PRC's no PRC's get backup'ed just PDB's and PQA's.
no PDB's no PDB's get backup'ed just PRC's and PQA's.
SmartBackup_Main.gif

Enter a valid path. The path must start with a /. If the path / directory do not exist you get a Alert Panel saying "Invalid path". Please create the directory or change the path.
If the path do not exists it is created.
SmartBackup_DetailsSource.gif

Details about the build-in memory.
This panel can be reach via shorcut /B or via pressing on the "..." left of the type selector.
SmartBackup_DetailsTarget.gif

Details about the external memory card.
This panel can be reach via shorcut /B or via pressing on the "..." left of the type selector.
SmartBackup_Options.gif

Some more enhanced options. You can choose how the file name on the external memory card should be created.
You can choose if only files in RAM or only ROM or both files should be included in the backup.
You can choose if cleanup should run after the backup so that the number of files in the backup directory is reduced.
You can choose if old PIM databases (DatebookDB, MemoDB, AddressDB, ToDoDB) should be included in the backup. This option is only available on Palm OS™ enableded devices with the new PIM (personal information manager) applications. Restoring the databases will cause duplicate entries because the information is restored via other databases.
SmartBackup_Main_Created.gif

If the path did not exists it is created if you hit the backup button.
SmartBackup_Main3.gif

After you hit the "Start Backup" button, the application starts to backup the files. The backup can be canceld at any time. Already processed files will not be deleted.
The first time you start the application it will take a little longer, but all further backups will run much faster, because only changed files since last backup get copied.
SmartBackup_Main4.gif

After the backup is completed you get some further information about the number of files created. There will be no backup of files in ROM (read only memory). Only files since changed since the last backup will be copied.

Features:

  • support for multiple slots (CardNo / "source")
  • selector for the target memory card.
  • RamDrive support for PalmOS 5™
  • incremental Backup, only changed database are included in the backup (depends on the LastModificationDate in the database header).
  • Files have file suffix prc, pdb or pqa.
  • in the Filename of Applications is the version number included.

The file name of a Database in the backup directory is created from

  • the database name
  • an underscore
  • if it is a Application and a version number is available, the version followed by a underscore
  • last modification date from the database header in the selected format:
    • Date/Time YYYYMMDDhhmmss (year, month, day, hour, minute, second)
    • Date YYYYMMDD (year, month, day)
    • -/- no date/time is appended
  • suffix, depending of the type of database.
    • *.prc - Palm Resource Database
    • *.pdb - Palm Data Database
    • *.pqa - Palm Query Application
Sample: SmartBackup_1.0c_20021226174439.prc

The files with _68k_ in its name are proxies for ARM prcessors supported by Palm OS™ 5.0 are never included in the backup, because they get regenerated by the first launch of an application.
Databases in ROM are not backup'ed either, because they survive even a hard reset.

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CleanUp

SmartBackup_MenuOptions.gif

After a while there will be a lot of files in the backup directory.
You can remove them by hand, or just choose "CleanUp" from the menu.
SmartBackup_CleanUp.gif

By tapping the "i" you get some help about that feature.
If you tap on the cleanUp button, there will advance a progress indicator. The cleanUp is done in three steps. First the list of files in the backup directory is build. Then the list is sorted und at least the files are deleted. At least the choosen number of files will be left on the external memory card. The oldest files will be deleted.
SmartBackup_CleanUp4.gif

At the end of the progress you will get a message box telling you the number of files processed.
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Restore

SmartBackup_MenuOptions.gif

To restore the files from your backup, choose "restore" from the menu.
SmartBackup_Restore.gif

You can choose date and time. All files modified before that date will be restored. Files modified (and backup'ed) after that date will not be copied. So if you had a bad dad, you can store all the database of the day before (if you made a backup before).
The restore is done in three steps
  1. creating a list of all files of the backup directory
  2. sorting the list
  3. coping the files to the build in memory
Look in the help (press the ?) for errors that can occur.
SmartBackup_Restore_539.gif

Some samples:
Error 539 (dmDatabaseProtected) occurs while trying to restore a open database. Some database like the Net Prefs get opened during system initialization. So it can not be restored.
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Schedule

SmartBackup_Schedule.gif

With the "Schedule" feature you can schedule automatic backup's. SmartBackup will switch on your palm to backup all the files that have changed since the last backup. At least every 30 days there will be a backup made.
SmartBackup_ScheduleTime.gif

You can choose the time when the backup should run. It will switch on you PalmOS™ enabeld device at the given time. During the backup you will see the same progress windows as during a manual backup.
SmartBackup_MainNextBackup.gif

On the main panel you can see the date/time of the last and the next scheduled backup.
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Move orphaned files

SmartBackup_MenuOptions.gif

The funtion Move orphanded files can be reached via the menu. This will move all Databases which do not longer exist in the internal memory of the Palm OS enabled device into a directory called '/[your backup Directory]/orphaned'. This will help in the case of a restore that there will be no old files restored, which had been deleted from the internal memory before the loss of data.
SmartBackup_CreatingList.gif

This panel shows you the progress of creating a list of all files in the backup directory on the external memory card.
SmartBackup_Move1.gif

After the creation of the list, the application checks, if the database do any longer exists in the internal memory of your Palm OS™ enabled device. Database which are not found will be moved to a directory called 'orphaned' within you backup directory. If that directory don not exists it will be created.
SmartBackup_Move2.gif

After the process has finshed you see how many files had been moved to the directory 'orphaned'

Don't forget to backup your data before using it.
Before using that piece of software make a complete backup of you device (and make sure that the restore will work !). I prefer pilot-xfer or SmartBackup for that job.
Altough i am quite carefull, there might be a bug.

Tested on Palm OS 3.3, 3.4, 4.0 and 5.x.

This Software is Nag Free Shareware. You have to buy a License to use it. If you register you will recieve the latest version with the latest enhancements as soon as it is available via eMail. The latest version is not available via download.

A Licence can be bought from www.Palmgear.com ( Buy online via secure store ).

If you like to buy a licence via the German distributor PDAssi klick here.

Refer to the Document for the Lisence Agreement.

Any distribution of that Software via CD-ROM, Internet or other media without the permission of the author is not allowed.

These applications are distributed as archives files. To extract the original files from an archive, you can use WinZip (.zip) for Windows or StuffIt Expander (.sit) for Macs.

Have a look at that documentation if you don not know how to install the Application. on your PalmOS enabled device.

Any comments are appreciated.

Kind regards

Juergen Schwister


wish list

Known bugs

The latest version is only available for registered users. It is not available via download.

History

complete list of releases

by Jürgen Schwister @ http://home.vr-web.de/jSwi