Creating Schedules in SyncBack

Author: Swapna Naraharisetty, 2BrightSparks Pte. Ltd.

SyncBack users can effortlessly automate their backup processes by using the Windows Task Scheduler. Once you have scheduled your backups, your backups will be executed automatically at the specified date and time, eliminating the need for manual intervention. The Scheduler Monitor can also inform you if a schedule is not running.

Within the scheduled task, you have the flexibility to create complex schedules that suit your specific backup needs. For instance, you can configure backups to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, set backups to run at regular intervals (e.g. every X hours), or even specify particular days of the week or month for backup runs. These conditions can be defined by making use of the Recur and Repeat settings within a scheduled task.

The Recur setting determines the frequency at which the task should be executed. For instance, setting a profile to recur daily means it will run once every day at the scheduled time. On the other hand, the Repeat setting defines how many times the task should run during each recurrence cycle. For example, if you have a scheduled task set to recur daily with a repeat interval of 6 hours, it will could execute up to four times daily (depending on the start time).

This article will provide several examples of how to schedule tasks in SyncBack using the Recur and Repeat settings.

To schedule a profile to run from Monday to Friday at 5am

• Run SyncBack and select the desired profile from the main window. Then, you can initiate the scheduling process by either clicking the Schedule button located at the bottom of the main window or, if you are making changes to the profile, navigate to the When settings page and click the Schedule button there.
• Within the Schedule window, access the Weekly tab as you want the task to execute on weekdays.
• Specify the start date and set the time as 05:00:00.
• Set the Recur every option to 1 to ensure that the task repeats on a weekly basis.
• Proceed to the drop-down menu just below it and tick the check-boxes from Monday through Friday.
• Finally, click the OK button to save the scheduled task.

Now, your profile is set to run automatically from Monday to Friday at 5:00 AM.

To schedule a profile to run on the first day of each month

• Launch SyncBack and select the profile from the main window. Then, either click the Schedule button at the bottom of the main window or, if modifying the profile, navigate to the When settings page and click the Schedule button there.
• Within the Schedule window, navigate to the Monthly tab.
• Next, specify the start date and time.
• Click the Months drop-down menu and select all the check-boxes from January to December.
• Additionally, enable the Days option and select the check-box labeled 1 from the drop-down menu.
• Finally, confirm your settings by clicking the OK button to save the scheduled task.

To schedule a profile to run on alternate Wednesdays

• Run SyncBack and choose your preferred profile from the main window. Then, proceed to either click the Schedule button at the bottom of the main window or, if modifying the profile, navigate to the When settings page and click the Schedule button there.
• On the Schedule window, go to the Weekly tab.
• Specify the start date and time.
• For the Recur every option, set it to 2 to make the task run every other week.
• Click on the drop-down menu below it and select the check-box next to Wednesday.
• Finally, click the OK button to save the scheduled task.

Your task is now configured to run bi-weekly on Wednesdays at the specified time.

To schedule a profile to run every last Friday of the month

• Launch SyncBack and select the desired profile from the main window. Then, proceed by either clicking the Schedule button located at the bottom of the main window or, if you're making changes to the profile, navigate to the When settings page and click the Schedule button there.
• Within the Schedule window, navigate to the Monthly tab.
• Next, specify the start date and time.
• Click the Months drop-down menu and select all the check-boxes from January to December.
• Choose the On option and select the check-box marked as Last for the day of the month.
• Select Friday from the subsequent drop-down menu.
• Finally, confirm your settings by clicking the OK button to save the scheduled task.

To schedule a profile to run every Monday, Wednesday and Friday

• Run SyncBack and select the desired profile from the main window. Then, proceed by clicking either the Schedule button located at the bottom of the main window or, if you are modifying the profile, navigate to the When settings page and select the Schedule button there.
• On the Schedule window, go to the Weekly tab.
• Specify the start date and time.
• Set the Recur every option to 1 to configure the task to run every week.
• In the drop-down menu below it, choose and enable the check-boxes for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
• Finally, confirm your settings by clicking the OK button to save the scheduled task.

Your task is now configured to run weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the specified time.

To schedule a profile to run at 9 AM and 6 PM every day

• Launch SyncBack and select the desired profile from the main window. Then, proceed by clicking either the Schedule button located at the bottom of the main window or, if you're in the process of modifying the profile, navigate to the When settings page and select the Schedule button there.
• On the Schedule window, go to the Daily tab.
• Specify the start date and set the first occurrence time as 09:00:00.
• For Recur every: option, configure it to 1 days, ensuring the task runs daily.
• Go to Settings tab, tick the option Run this profile every... and set it as follows to repeat the task at 6pm:
  
  Run this profile every:
  [0] days, [9] hours, [0] minutes, [0] seconds
  for a duration of:
  [0] days, [9] hours, [0] minutes, [0] seconds
  


• Finally, confirm your settings by clicking the OK button to save the scheduled task.

Your task is now set to run daily at 9 AM and repeat at 6 PM.

Conclusion

Following the steps outlined in this guide, you can efficiently schedule your backups to run at specific times and intervals, such as every day at 9 AM or every Friday of the month. This guarantees automatic and timely execution of your important backups, significantly reduces the risk of data loss, ultimately saving your time and effort in the management of your backups.