Skip to main content
Define file inclusions and exclusions for backup

Define file inclusions and exclusions for backup

Updated this week

Overview

When it comes to protecting organizational critical data, you may want to ensure that business-critical data is not missed out from backups. And especially in legal hold and forensics cases, you may want to be double sure that any changes made to the file extensions by the users will not exclude business-critical files from being backed up, which is why inSync provides you the option to define file inclusions for backup.

inSync provides the following two options to define the file inclusions at profile-level configuration for device backups:

  • Using File Extension

  • Using MIME Type

It is possible to define file inclusions and exclusions based on the file types (file extensions).

The file inclusions and exclusions are configured using the inSync profile.


❗ Important

  • This is a profile level setting and cannot be applied to the user level.


Backup data using file extensions

This method provides you the option to include and exclude the data from backup based on the file types and their extensions. When you select a particular file type from a range of available file types, inSync readily displays the list of file extensions for the selected file types.

Based on your organization's requirements and the data that you intend to back up from the user devices, you can select one or more file types and define the file extensions that you want to include or exclude from the backup.

For the list of file types that are by default included for backup, see Defined file types for backup.

Steps to define file extensions to include in the backup -

  1. Login to the inSync Management Console.

  2. Click Profiles from the top menu and click on the profile name assigned to the user.

  3. Click on Edit on the top right corner and select Endpoints

  4. Select the folder option on the left side (for example - My Documents, Desktop, etc..)

  5. For the folder option selected in the above step, you can select the required file types from the drop-down menu that you want to include for the backup. The following example illustrates Office files and PDF files -

6. Select the file extensions that you want to include in backups from the adjacent box.

7. You can also type the custom file extension based on your requirements. Note that there should not be a space between the 2 file extensions and a semicolon should be used to separate the file extensions as shown in the above example.

8. You can select the OS type - Windows / Mac / Linux and perform the above steps as per your requirements for each OS type.

9. Click on Save once the required changes are done.


📝 Note

If you are looking for a specific file type and if it does not appear in the standard list, type the file extension in the adjacent box.


Steps to define file extensions to exclude from the backup -

  1. Login to the inSync Management Console.

  2. Click Profiles from the top menu and click on the profile name assigned to the user.

  3. Click on Edit on the top right corner and select Endpoints

  4. Select the folder option on the left side (for example - My Documents, Desktop, etc..)

  5. For the folder option selected in the above step, you can select the required file types from the drop-down menu that you want to exclude from the backup. The following example illustrates Miscellaneous files and Executable files -

6. Select the file extensions that you want to include in backups from the adjacent box.

7. You can also type the custom file extension based on your requirements. Note that there should not be a space between the 2 file extensions and a semicolon should be used to separate the file extensions as shown in the above example.

8. You can select the OS type - Windows / Mac / Linux and perform the above steps as per your requirements for each OS type.

9. Click on Save once the required changes are done.

Backup data using MIME types

If the user accidentally or even intentionally changes the file extensions and if those file extensions are not defined in the backup rules, it may lead to data loss and the data would be unrecoverable in the event of a disaster.

Configuring inSync profiles to backup data based on file MIME types ensures that the organizational critical data is not missed from backup.

The following steps are involved to define file MIME types for backup.

  1. On the inSync Management Console menu bar, click Profiles.

  2. Click the profile for which you want to define the file inclusions.

  3. Click the Devices tab > Laptops & Desktops.

  4. Click Edit. The Edit Device Backup Configuration window appears.

  5. As applicable, select the file types from the drop-down menu that you want to include for backup. The following example illustrates Office files andPDF files

Note - ​To enable the “Backup data using MIME types” functionality please contact Druva Support.

6. Click Save.

Did this answer your question?